New Dimension Heroes
by The Ethereal Lord
Summary: I suck at summaries but i do have one thing to say: the story is a personal job with no links to the anime 'dimension heroes.' I'm only posting it here on a dare and as such, i might not keep posting. it depends on the reviews i get.


_**New Dimension Heroes: Genesis**__** Story Arc**_

_**Gathering**_

___**Prologue**_

He followed his quarry silently, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, his night-blue with black accent costume easily cloaking him in the darkness of the night.

Standing on an overhanging verandah, he watched as his target slipped into an abandoned warehouse, thinking to himself that he had remained unnoticed.

'Bingo' the hunter thought to himself as he leapt off the verandah.

With nary a sound he crept up to the rickety door of the warehouse. Taking a deep breath, he let the energy of the world flow through him, allowing him to see into the channels of energy.

Focusing on the building, he saw the distinct energy pyres of humans. Eight of them. Wouldn't be a problem for him.

Lashing out with a foot, he shattered the door and walked in.

"It's him!" one of them cried as he pulled out a .32 handgun. "Don't just stand there! Shoot!"

'That would be the ring leader.' he mused as he pulled out his own weapon.

And a seemingly outdated one at that.

"A sword?" another sneered aiming his gun. "It almost seems unfair to do this."

The warehouse was filled with the sudden crack of an object being forced out of a barrel at hypersonic speed. Or, simply put, a gunshot.

"And there's the guy you're so afraid of." the shooter sneered at the first guy.

"He had a reason to be afraid." the hunter's voiced echoed. "You obviously don't know me that much."

Suddenly, a cold stiff wind blew through their midst. A second later the body of the shooter slumped, a dark pool of blood haloing around the body.

Without waiting for any form of command, those left let loose their weapons, spraying bullets in any direction.

The hunter simply smiled. This was his favorite part of his 'job'. When the targets allowed their fear to course through them and take control of their actions.

With a twisted smile hidden under his mask, he burst out of his hiding spot, the chi flowing through his veins powering him, enabling him to run faster than the mere human could.

They never knew what hit them; never felt the cold hard edge of his blade slide expertly through skin, sinew and bone into their hearts.

It was over in less than five seconds.

"Impressive." a voice commented from the shadows. "That truly was you at your best Surg."

The hunter, Surg, tensed almost imperceptibly, his left hand gripping the sword just a bit tighter as his feet adjusted into a fighting stance.

He knew the owner of the voice as a small-scale criminal that specialized in drug pushing. However, more importantly, he knew him as a human.

'Except me, all the humans here are dead.' Surg thought to himself as he once again allowed the chi energy to flow through him. 'So why isn't he appearing as one?'

"Draymon. It has been a long time. What, did you go on a vacation?"

"Actually, I've been around. You know trying to lay my hands on quick cash."

"So I should take it that you set this deal up?"

"I see that you're still your sharp self." The voice replied sounding closer than before. "Though I have to wonder, did you really have to make such a gruesome mess?"

"I do what I gotta. Not my fault you and the rest of Daltasaland's Underground don't seem to learn."

"Yes, well…"

Suddenly, a figure dove out of the shadows behind Surg, a clawed hand lifted in preparation to gut out his spine.

Reacting on reflexes honed through years of training and experience with denizens of the underworld, Surg spun, his left hand rising so that when Draymon struck, his inhuman claws struck the sword.

"We'll learn when you're gone"

"It'll be a long time before I'm gone if you're this slow." Surg shot back as he pushed Draymon back with his sword

Abruptly, Draymon dropped to the floor then lashed out with his foot, sweeping Surg's legs out. "You keep thinking like that and you'll be dead before sunrise."

Without a word, Surg fell back, allowing gravity to do its work before kicking out. Feeling his feet connect with his opponent's body, he rolled backwards then stood up just as Draymon was doing the same.

Bursting into action, Surg whipped his sword around, hacking and slashing at his enemy even as Draymon continually parried all the attacks, the continuous ringing of steel on steel echoing through the warehouse.

'Uh oh.' Surg thought as he kept pushing Draymon. 'something's changing. HE'S changing.'

"Fool! Can't your measly ability to see auras help you? Don't you understand? I made a deal with powers beyond your understanding."

Immediately, Draymon stepped into Surg's attack, ignoring the bite of his enemy's weapon against his arm, and lashed out with a brutal uppercut that sent Surg flying into a wall.

'Damn that hurt.' he thought, planting his sword into the ground as he stood up to face his enemy.

What he saw chilled him to his core.

Draymon hovered in the air, his dark trench coat billowing around him, blown by an unnatural wind as his hands were wreathed in ghostly green light. Even worse were his eyes that shone the same as his hands.

"Surprised?" he asked haughtily. "I did what no one else would. I allowed myself to be a host for a demon. Glargon powers this body now. And with him, I will do what no one else has. I will destroy you!" he screamed, punching out repeatedly, sending beams of destructive pale green light at Surg who dove into action immediately.

Bursting into a run, he wove his way round the warehouse, dodging the deadly beams as he tried to remember all the important things his master had taught him about demons being bonded to humans.

'That's it.' his mind screamed as he danced aside, feeling the deceitful coolness of the beams as they sped by. 'The demon is usually sealed in a tiny corporeal object placed on or within the body of the host. Destroy the object and the bond is broken.'

With his objective settled, all that remained was finding the bonded object.

Immediately, he blanked his mind, allowing his senses to carry him out of the path of danger as he pushed his consciousness beyond the mere point of seeing the world's chi until he _became_ a part of it.

Struggling to hold his mentality together, he looked on Draymon's body and saw the fullness of his aura. Then, he noticed a pale green glow in the stereotypical black-and-white of the environment.

Almost like flipping a switch, he returned his consciousness into his body, feeling the familiar warmth of the Earth seep into him, banishing the cold of the chi paths.

Focusing fully now, he streaked onwards, this time inching ever closer to Draymon. When he was close enough, he struck out with a fist towards Draymon's belly. Just as his enemy moved to block, his left hand came up in a slashing backswing. Before he could block it, the sword had nicked a cut into his cheek.

"NOOOO!" Draymon shrieked as he was engulfed in a shower of light.

"I think I'll stick around a bit longer." Surg said as he walked out of the decimated warehouse into a blooming sunrise "You though? Not gonna happen."

_**Chapter 1**_

The war was nearing its end, an end that seemed bleak for all inhabitants of Thoria.

The invading army had come quickly, catching the world asleep. Now, they left nothing in their wake but a blazing path of destruction and carnage.

The worst part was their obvious destination: the Thorian Royal Palace.

"What reports General Chetek?"

"Not good High Commander. The Eastern gate has been compromised and at this moment, they march towards the Palace gates."

The High Commander sighed. "Understood. Call the Guardsmen together and lead your charge against them. I will inform the Majesties of the situation."

Silently, the one called General Chetek saluted then showed himself out.

Seconds later, the High Commander himself took to the skies.

"The invaders have made it past our gates?" a vibrant, yet sad voice asked beside him.

"Indeed, my Prince. Chetek has gone to begin the first charge."

There was silence for a while as both men flew through the skies, their unmoving wings cutting silently through the winds, before the Prince spoke. "This invasion was too well planned. First our planetary defenses, then our flight hangars and communication beams."

"They cut us off the rest of the universe."

"Yes. The worst part, though, is their intention. Not to enslave us but to utterly annihilate us." The Prince explained as the

Palace loomed ahead of them.

"We can't allow them to enter our minds. We can still beat them!"

"I haven't given up hope Commander Gidean. As long as you are here, there is still hope. Father must be waiting. I'll see you at the Elites Hold"

Gidean sighed again as an old warrior saying from his home planet, his true, now eradicated planet, slipped into his mind:

_Hope is the ignorance of reality_

'I seem cursed to have wherever I deem to be home be destroyed' he thought grimly.

And with that disturbingly accurate thought, he flew in to see the King of Thoria.

"It's coming, isn't it?" Queen Mayarasena asked sadly as she strapped her gauntlets onto her hands.

The King remained a silent, staring intently at the ring he wore on the third finger of his right hand, already strapped in his full battle regalia.

"The War Commander is the one, Ambar, not your son. You know this planet will be razed to the ground and none will survive. We have no choice there. But right now the fate of the universe lies within both Gidean and that ring." Mayarasena cautioned as she slung her laser bow on her back and strapped her twin energy daggers to her thighs. "Make the right choice."

Finally ready, she leaned on her toes to kiss her husband before backing off "I'll go get the girls ready."

"Maya"

She stopped.

"Thank you."

She nodded then blew him a kiss. By the end of the day, her family and the entire Thorian race would be dead, simply marking one of the events that fulfilled an ancient prophecy that spelt doom for the universe. By her words, she had encouraged her husband to take a step to avert the crisis.

Fate was a bitch but she preferred to think of it as destiny.

Destiny was much kinder.

"Would you just damn listen to me?" Ambar yelled at Gidean.

Calmly, Gidean replied the King: "You know that I always listen to you, Majesty, however I cannot concur to this. Asking me to take your Signet? When your son is alive? You might as well jump out and tell the men to surrender."

"Gidean, I have known you since you arrived here in that ball of fire. I have taken you in as my own brother and I trust you more than I trust the entire Thorian high council. Now, I ask that you reciprocate that trust.

There are forces at play right now that threaten the very existence of the universe. The loss of Thoria alone is better than the loss of our entire universe." Ambar paused to take Gidean's hand "To save this universe I ask that you trust me and take this. It must never fall into the wrong hands."

"But Ambar…"

"Please Gidean."

Finally, the Thorian High War Commander succumbed.

Just as Gidean slipped the ring onto his finger, a soldier flew in.

While normally such a direct entry to the King's inner court was a punishable offence, both men forgot all such rules as the soldier told them of the new developments.

Without waiting for Gidean, King Ambar dove into the air, flying straight for the Elites Hold.

"Princess Niale and the Queen will hold this position and they will be supported by the fourth platoon. Princesses Alica and Erika will hold this point, directly opposite the Queen and they will have the sixth platoon on their side. Platoons one, three and five are with the King. Prince Rahkhin will have two and eight and I will have seven, nine and ten. The Prince will work with me to hold off the brunt of their attack force while the King will work to eat at them from their fringes. Are we clear?"

"Crystal!" echoed the deep-throated reply.

Gidean took a moment to watch the Guards, the Thorian Elites. Knowing of their impending deaths yet all one thousand of them, Royal Family removed, stood ready.

He felt, despite the circumstances, or maybe in spite of them, extremely proud.

"Move out!"

Princess Niale glided over to him, the light of Thoria's double moons glistening off her metallic armor.

"You are so hot when you do that." She purred, "Father told me of the likely outcome of this."

"And…" Gidean prodded questioningly, trying to ignore her and the inherently subtle beauty she had inherited from her mother as he always had to whenever she was around while he watched the others fly to their positions.

"If this is goodbye, then here. From me to you."

And, without further ado, she kissed him, deeply and thoroughly, pouring years of frustration at her inability to open up to him about her feelings into the kiss.

"If I knew how hot that would be then I'd have been doing that for a long time." She whispered sadly "Goodbye Gidean."

Then, she flew off to join her mother.

"Bet you didn't see that coming."

"I would have taken you up on that if time permitted, Rahkhin. Let's get ready."

And the famed Thorian War Commander flew off, leaving a very astounded Prince in his wake.

The hordes seemed endless.

After doing her best to hold off the robots with the rain of lasers from her bow, Mayarasena and her daughter Niale had joined the soldiers, duking it out with the invading hordes. She had fought for so long that her arms only moved on autopilot, hacking and slashing with her daggers at any threat.

Then, the end began.

First was her daughter, Alica, who was so focused on destroying the targets ahead of her that she never noticed the one that slipped by her until the gleaming silver of the robot's dagger arm shot out of her chest.

Then, in a blind fit of rage at the death of her sister, Erika, her youngest flung her dagger at the offending robot only to have her head disintegrated by a ruby laser from another.

"Don't stop! Don't stop!" Niale screamed as she tore through multiple robots "Keep fighting!"

Abruptly‚ a robot landed on her‚ crushing her beautiful daughter's body.

Mayarasena was filled with a sudden dread. This new robot was simply monstrous. Seven‚ maybe eight feet tall‚ it stood out from the rest with its seemingly dense musculature and utter… plainness. No weapons adorned its frame yet Mayarasena knew that it was an unstoppable tank.

'Daughters dead‚ son and husband soon to go. Why not?' she mused tiredly. 'Might as well go down fighting.'

Instantly‚ she dove forward‚ daggers flashing silver as she tore through the robots‚ bearing down on the silver behemoth in her path.

Her last thought was:

_Hell hath no fury as a woman who has lost it all_

"Gidean! Behind you" Ambar roared as he battled through the never-ending armies.

Instantly, he spun, his special war axe biting into the body of yet another robot. With a quick flex of his knees, he shot up into the air before hurling himself back down, cleaving more as he fell.

'This battle is over' he thought 'the Queen's daughters are dead, the Prince mortally wounded. The Elites are no more save the King, the Queen and I.'

"Ambar! I am going to join the Queen. She alone cannot defeat that thing." And, without waiting for a reply, he took off.

Mayarasena seemed to be in trouble as she flew round the large robot continuously, twisting and turning to dodge the weapons that blasted out of it, unable to bring any of her weapons to bear.

Suddenly, a flash of red and gold blurred by, streaking toward the large robot.

'What is he doing?' her mind screamed at her, 'His death seals the fate of the universe!'

"Gidean!" she yelled at him.

It was too late. The loss and death around him had pushed him to the edge and someone had to pay.

With a mighty roar, Gidean bore down on the massive beast, his war axe leaving blazing trails of yellow energy in its wake as he slashed at it.

He was doing it; pushing the large robot back, hammering it with powerful attacks that prevented it from bringing its fearsome weapons to bear. Moreover, with Mayarasena's continuous energy arrows detonating on it, keeping it off balance, Gidean thought they could actually win.

Then, the robot struck back with a sweeping backhanded blow.

Her attention taken by the swarm of robots that attacked her husband, Mayarasena suddenly felt a spine crushing force slam into her back, knocking her laser bow out of her hand as she hurtled to the ground.

"Maya!" Ambar screamed as she slammed into the ground with skull crushing force and, capitalizing on the sudden distraction, the large robot materialized an arm cannon and blasted the King of Thoria to so much ash.

Finally, the fight left Gidean. Battered, bruised, defeated and completely separated from the ones he called family for a second time, he hung in air morosely, an emotionally empty husk of himself.

"**The famed planet of Thoria**" the large being said, uttering its first words since the beginning of the battle "**Pitifully pathetic. I could have taken this place in my sleep."**

'How does a robot sleep?' Gidean thought blankly

"**And you,**" it growled in a grating voice "**Did you ever think you stood a chance?"**

Suddenly, it leapt into the air, wrapped a massive fist around Gidean and slammed back into the ground.

"**I am destruction! I am the harbinger of chaos!**"

It punctuated both statements with two punishing blows to Gidean's body.

"**I-**

"**Am-**

"**Siege!"**

Then, with a mighty leap, Siege shot into the sky.

'Just one more chance' Gidean thought as his consciousness began to fade 'One more chance to defend the lives of people.'

Starting as a small dot in the sky, Siege quickly resolved into a large shape with an outstretched foot.

'Hopeless.' was Gidean's last thought as his mind finally lost consciousness.

Just before Siege's foot crunched Gidean into oblivion, there was a bright golden flash of light.

_**Chapter 2**_

She jumped out of her bed in shock.

'Damned dreams!' she thought as she sat back trying to make sense of the dreams that had begun to plague her for about what? Two weeks now? She could not precisely remember.

They all started the same way. First, she would see the world around her burning with no way for her to escape. Then it would seem as though the dream would reverse itself to a point where she would see herself standing between two men, to her right, one hovered in a ball of fire and to her left, the other stood surrounded by an aura of light. And every time she could hear a distant voice saying in the background: 'The world moans, the universe is in tears. The end begins, yet only few see. The key to salvation must be forged between the light, the dark and the star. Find your equal and opposite and find the star. Then proceed to the third planet from Solaris.'

Same damned dream every time.

'Gotta find the NytMother.' She decided 'For some strange reason, I believe I _am _the dark. However, what does it all mean? And if the universe truly is in danger as the dream implies, shouldn't it be the NytMother to save it? So why me?'

Knowing that all the answers she sought lay within the most powerful being on her planet, Nyxia, she left her room in search of the NytMother.

"Don't bother asking, Eden Gilganna. I know why you seek me."

She stood in the middle of the Gerona Glade, the most direct pathway to the Cove, the NytMother's dwelling place, utterly stunned.

"B… but I haven't spoken yet. I haven't told anyone of this. Not even my mother."

"Indeed you haven't." the voice echoed around the Glade, whispery in some places, booming in others. "But then, I am different."

Eden wanted to reply yet her tongue stayed stubbornly glued to the roof of her suddenly dry mouth.

"Follow the path you see and you will be led to me."

'Okay then' she thought as she turned round in a vain attempt to find the source of the voice. She knew it was futile. It wasn't her first time here yet she always wanted to find the source of the voice. It sounded so close at times and yet so far… 'No point wasting time here.' She shrugged mentally as she began to walk along the well-trod path to the Cove.

"You wonder why you are the one chosen and not me, am I right?"

The NytMother asked as stared out of her designated home onto the Cerulean Sea.

Eden was also watching the crashing waves as she nodded

"The universe works in different ways, Eden, ways that we mere mortals cannot understand.

I know you do not believe that because I am known to be centuries old but one thing you must understand is this: no matter how powerful you become, how long you live or how wise you are, you can never be more than a mere mortal. There will always be things that cannot be revealed to you yet are plain before the gods. Immortality isn't omniscience."

"So, does that mean you don't understand my dream?" Eden asked.

The NytMother smiled "Actually, that's pretty easy. You have been chosen, along side the two you keep seeing in those visions of yours, to save the universe from a terrible evil that is capable of ripping the universe apart. It's all part of an old prophecy."

"What prophecy?"

"Ages ago, when the universe was young and the gods battled to become the Creator's favourite, Myrna of the visions foresaw a future. In this vision, she saw a great evil rise, seeking out power to destroy the gods themselves. Desperately, she asked the Creator to show her a way to stop this for though she fought against her siblings, she fought to stall their fits of insanity."

The NytMother paused as one of her followers, commonly called a NytSister, brought her a cup of a dark, sweet-smelling tea. Chanting softly, she took the cup and downed it in a gulp.

She sighed in ecstasy. "Nitrite root tea. Its best drunk steaming hot yet that would damage the body. So I altered it a bit with magic leaving it steaming hot yet unable to damage my body."

Both women remained quiet for a while, simply enjoying the gentle spray of sea-foam on their cheeks and the salty taste of it in Eden's case since she kept on licking her lips when the foam touched them.

"The Creator heard her pleas and showed her a way. It had to be prepared long before the true battle.

A group of people with varying powers and abilities would be assembled on a planet-"

"The third from the star Solaris" Eden put in, now beginning to grasp the entirety of the situation.

"Precisely. There you will be to battle the evil Myrna first saw."

Eden sighed. "When will the evil show itself? And who else has their destiny tied with mine?"

The NytMother chuckled "You seem not to understand. Even Myrna was not given the privilege of knowing the exact period of this battle. It may be by the next season or the next cycle of the moon Sphre. And she was a goddess. How much more me, a mere mortal?

As to your second question, only Myrna and the Creator know of the complete list but Myrna did tell me of the light and the star from your visions as well as a war commander and a princess. The rest…" the NytMother shrugged.

"But why me?" Eden asked. "I know I am one of the few ones who can truly understand magic as you once told me, yet I lack true skill in manipulating it. One of the Sisters of the Nyt would be better at this than I could ever hope to be."

"True…" the NytMother mused to Eden's secret dissatisfaction.

'She should be encouraging me! Wait. Shouldn't I be afraid of going? So why the hell am I angry at her for agreeing with me? Arrgh! I am so confused'

"I know you are." The NytMother smiled. "Aren't we all confused at times?

Eden, I understand what you are feeling. In truth, you want to accept this destiny. It is one many would jump at. Yet you are scared of the responsibility it places upon you: the lives of being numbering over billions of billions would be placed within your hands if you accept and failure isn't an option. Am I right?"

Eden had to look inward before answering the question 'Do I really want to accept this? Is she right?'

A period of time passed, whether seconds or minutes, Eden didn't know. What she did know was her answer.

"You are."

"The choice is all yours. I can't tell you what to pick nor can I promise you a safe future. At this point, you are on your own"

Eden was utterly quiet while the NytMother got up and walked toward the ocean.

By the time she returned, Eden was on her feet.

"Well?"

"I'll do it. I accept." Eden answered in a quiet yet determined voice.

"Why?" the NytMother asked sadly "Why leave your mother with no one but your sister? Who will take care of them? Who will hold the coming death at bay?"

Eden looked calmly into the NytMother's purple eyes, the most unique feature of a Nyxian and said, "If I do not accept, then they die anyway."

"And if you fail?"

"It wouldn't bring me as much sorrow as it would have if I had decided not to go. I'll either conquer this evil or die trying."

"Walk with me." The NytMother said in a voice that allowed no argument.

"Today, you have made a very important decision. You have accepted your fate instead of running from it as some would. I cannot promise you safety though."

Silence reigned and for a few seconds, Eden was surprised at how quickly they had moved. They were standing at the water's edge, the gently flowing tide lapping at their feet as both looked into the gradually darkening skies, one of Nyxia's four moons already beginning to appear.

"However, I can promise you power. Return when only the light of the moons can guide your way."

That was it. She had one last step to take to bring her into her destiny. Her choice would be sealed by the night.

Eden greeted bade the NytMother good evening and went on her way.

"Do you think she will succeed?" a Sister asked within the shadows

"More importantly, will she return tonight?" another asked.

The NytMother simply smiled. "Those are questions even I cannot answer. Rest assured, though, that she will do what is right. Now leave me. I must prepare for the night that lies ahead."

Quietly, the gathered Sisters scattered, returning to their chambers in twos and threes.

"The NytMother is right." One stated surely. "She always is."

"I do not doubt the Mother. The only question is; will the child do what is right for herself? Or will she do what is right for the universe?"

'It's a strange night indeed' Eden thought as she walked along the path to the Cove. 'All four moons coming together so close as to eclipse one another. Really strange.'

The trees around swayed gently in the cool Nyxian breeze, sending her luxuriantly dark hair flying softly as birdcalls of different tones drifted down.

"Hurry now child," the NytMother's voice whispered around her, "we wouldn't want to keep the universe waiting"

On the other side of the universe, in a shabby tavern on the planet of Nur Vale, a man sitting by himself was hit with a vision:

_A congregation of women numbering just below a hundred were seated in a wide circle, hands loosely linked together._

_In their middle stood two, one, an elderly looking woman with a hood, the other a beautiful young woman. The older one seemed to be speaking:_

The time has come for you to choose, Eden, what path you wish to take of the two that lay before you. One will keep you with those you love until the very end while the other is unknown. Be wise, child, and take your pick.

_The young one's lips firmed with what seemed to be determination._

I choose the unknown path.

_A wave of emotion flowed through the circle. Pity, in no little way, for this child who would live to sacrifice her life for an unknown fate yet also strong kinship knowing that her choice would be, ultimately, an important one._

_This time, the elder spoke:_

The Creator shows His favor on you and has cemented your choice in the heavens.

_The view shifted until he was looking into the sky._

_The four moons of this planet, all as one, slid behind each other until only the shining silver disc of the largest hung in the sky._

_The view shifted again. Now, he was looking upon the former sight of the women. Only one thing had changed; the elder was aglow._

_She seemed to be chanting however, the same power that had brought him here, was now keeping him from hearing what she was saying. In fact, mere seconds later, he could barely _see_ what was happening down there._

_Whether it lasted minutes or hours, he could not tell. What he could tell was that, suddenly, he could hear them again._

You have been equipped. Go now. Follow the paththe glades lead you through until you reach the desert world of _Nur Vale_. Your equal and opposite shall find you there. Go now.

_And, still maintaining the determined face, the woman, Eden, marched toward a footpath that began to part for her._

_Then, the elder turned to him:_

The prophecy as foretold by the goddess Myrna has begun to take hold. Join her as is foretold and find the star then proceed to-

The third planet from Solaris, _the man in the tavern replied._ I know what I am to do.

Then do it, _the elder hissed angrily, _time is not on our side.

Is it ever on anybody's side?_ He mused with a smile._

I seek a favor from you. _The elder said, sounding almost embarrassed. _The child is young and so has never truly harnessed her power. Besides, I never could the exact person it would be.

Thus you want me to play baby sitter slash teacher. _The man replied, _Consider it done. I would have loved to poke fun at you but considering our very limited time constraints, I'll hold that off for now.

It won't be difficult. I transferred all my knowledge of magic into her mind, _the elder stated, _thus she should understand what you teach her quite easily.

All of your knowledge? _The man asked before letting out a sharp whistle. _That's pretty formidable. So, all she needs is how to use that knowledge practically? Well, as I said before, do not worry about it. I will give her a straight up lesson in 'The Practical use of magic'. She'll be fine, I promise.

_The elder, finally, smiled. _Thank you

_**Chapter 3**_

"Doctor Parkington?"

Zedekiah Parkington, the thirty year old Chief Executive Officer of the multi-billion dollar business empire known as 'Parkington Consolidated, looked up to see his personal assistant, Ellianne Barbados, poking her head through the slight space between the wall and the door she'd opened.

"Yes, Ms Barbados?"

"Okay, umm, the men you... I mean, the meeting you called for at twelve, the men are waiting for you in the Conference room on the fortieth floor sir"

"You mean it's time for my twelve forty-five pm meeting with the business contractors in the Conference room on the fortieth floor." Zed corrected with a smile.

"Um, yes sir. Thank you for the correction." She replied nervously.

Zed smiled again. He could, to a point, understand her unease. His former personal assistant had left the job to start her own business and had recommended Ellianne to him.

"She's a good girl Mr. Parkington. A bit green but she'll definitely be a good replacement for me." were Hailey Dettle's words as she gave him the recommendation. He'd found her and hired her as soon as he paid off Hailey's bonus.

And, quite honestly, Ellianne had proven her stuff to him when she'd re-organized his entire filing system within three days of employment. The new system was such an improvement that he was compelled to make it the standard in all branches of Parkington Consolidated. And that was less than a week ago. Her only problem was her fear. Fear that she would wake up one day to discover that it had all been a dream. Working for Daltasaland's fifth richest, most influential man had all been a figment of her imagination. He didn't want that to happen to her so he tried to make things easier for her.

"D-d-doctor Parkington?" She stammered, snapping him out of his slight reverie. "Are you okay sir?"

"I'm fine thank you. Just a bit of a trip back in time." He replied, "Will that be all, Ms Barbados?"

"One more thing sir. Your appointment at the Carson Memorial Elementary School is tomorrow sir."

"Ah, Allison's class. I won't forget that. Thank you Ms Barbados."

And with that, Ellianne slid out of his office, closing the door as she left.

Zed closed his eyes, picturing the face of his long time friend and personal love interest, Allison Kayla Hunt. Her oval face framed with dark brown hair that offset her bright inquisitive gray eyes against her pale skin... His eyes snapped open. 'Gotta leave her. Tempting as she is I can't have her for reasons that are beyond my control.' he thought as he picked up his glasses, a personal invention he worked on in his spare time. The duralsteel glasses were designed with multiple functions including zoom, infrared, X-ray vision, night vision and a Video\Audio record\playback function that was controlled bio-neurally. Once worn, the micro-fibers in the frames by his ears linked directly to his nervous system, allowing him to control the glasses with mere thoughts. And the best part? The information was stored directly into his brain, allowing it to have limitless memory space (pardon the pun) and allowing him to call up any recorded data with a thought. Too bad he didn't feel like patenting it.

He smiled as he wore the glasses and activated the recording function. Technology really _did _make life better.

"Ms Hunt?"

Allison looked up to see one of her grade 6 students, Madelyn looking at her from her doorway.

"Yes Maddy?"

"Um... Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure, come on in" Allison replied, noticing the stricken look on her student's face. "Have a seat"

The lanky looking girl shuffled forward anxiously, her shoulders hunched as though her frail body carried the problems of the world.

"So, what's going on, Maddy?"

The girl broke down in tears so Allison walked round to the girl's side. "Come on Mads, you know you can talk to me. What's going on? Did any one bully you or do you feel mistreated by any teacher?"

"It's my parents," the girl sobbed "they seem to be arguing non-stop since dad lost his job.. Mom's just being unfair cause I know that when dad had his job she seemed contented. Now she acts like dad's a problem"

'Surprising how much kids of nowadays know that parents think they can't understand. Though eleven years is relatively old.'

"Maddy, I'm sorry about your parents but I really don't know what you want me to do."

"I don't know." Madelyn whimpered softly "I just needed to tell someone I could trust"

Allison was just about to speak when a thought hit her.

"What's your dad's profession?" She asked

"He's an engineer. I think electrical"

"How about this: I'll see what I can do to help your dad get his job back but you will have to promise me that you will talk about this to no one. How's that sound?"

"Really?" The girl's eyes shone with dizzying hope.

"I can't promise yet but I will do all that I can"

Mads nodded eagerly "I promise to not tell anybody about it"

"Okay then." Allison straightened. "Wipe your eyes and forget that this discussion ever took place. Got that?"

Madelyn nodded happily and bounced out of the room tossing a joyful "Thanks Ms Hunt" over her shoulder.

But Allison wasn't particularly listening. Her mind had already drifted, imagining her next encounter with the illustrious, rich, handsome as hell, Zedekiah Parkington.

'He's just so handsome. Light golden tan, dark blond hair and not just a great body but a great mind as well. Being rich is just a plus. And to think that he actually likes a plain Jane like me is fabulous.'

And how did this fabulous specimen of man meet a regular girl like her? Education was the uniting factor. They'd met in college where they were only on 'friendly wave' terms. Then, they'd both studied for their Masters in the same university where they progressed to more personal terms. She'd majored in Child Psychology and minored in Education while he had gone the way of Computer Software Engineering and Electrical Electronics Engineering. They had simply been friends then.

Then, he dropped off the radar for four years during which she applied for, got and work at Carson Memorial Elementary School. By the time they'd met again, she was the head of her the school's administrative department and he had taken the company that was rightfully his after a near nine month legal war.

He'd said he was 'simply linking up with old friends' when he pulled up in front of the restaurant he had invited her to in a plain little coupe car about six months ago and when she'd spoken of her profession, he'd offered to come in once a month to teach the grades 2 and 3 for a day. And, unlike other popular and influential Daltasans, he'd not made it public knowledge, keeping it secret until the paparazzi had investigated claims by numerous kids that the famous Zed Parkington was their teacher.

It was, without a doubt, the school's favorite day in each month. Zed always had a way with children and he was always able to hold the kids mind without ever becoming boring. He had even developed a strong rapport with the other teachers that they often joked about his success with the children, saying that he was only so successful because he never had to stay with them for too long.

But Allison knew that that wasn't true. She'd seen into the real him more times when he taught with his sleeves rolled up than on TV during those long, suit wearing, boring-as-hell meeting the media called 'press conferences'. He would never be a boring teacher were he to leave Parkington Consolidated. His heart was too kind for such. And, tomorrow, she would be working on the kindness of his heart to try to heal a cracked family.

This was, without a doubt, one of the unexpected dividends of his role.

No, he wasn't a hero and he never deluded himself into thinking that he was hero. The cops were heroes. The firefighters were heroes. And the medical team were, unquestionably, among the greatest heroes living.

No, what he was, quite honestly, was a vigilante. And a pretty damned good one too.

He wasn't a hero, not because he didn't save lives and definitely not because he did not stop crime, but because of the manner in which he did the latter of the above. Which was, truthfully, utterly heartlessly.

And that was why he couldn't, not now, not ever, have Allison Kayla Hunt. He knew that Zedekiah Parkington had his eyes on the girl. Well, he wouldn't try to shoot that down but...

Just then, one of his camouflaged sensor relay drones transmitted an audio burst. He listened as the ultra-computer he'd incorporated into his bio-neural face mask calculated the location and distance of the drone from him. The resulting information showed on the inside of the battle gauntlet on his left hand.

'Glasbur Street, 0.566 miles from my current location,' he read as he made some mental calculations. 'About two minutes from here.'

With that, his jet boots ignited, taking him about three feet straight up before he righted himself and jetted off to the crime scene, not a sound betraying his position as he moved.

'What is this, amateur night?' Zinton thought as he watched the events unfolding two stories down from his perch on a verandah.

Two men, probably in their early twenties, seemed to be mugging a man somewhere in the shadows. Or rather, _attempting_ to mug him. And by their body language, Zinton believed they weren't particularly successful in their weak excuse for an attempt.

Sending a quick command to his face mask, he watched the proceedings in high-def night vision.

'Interesting' he thought to himself. He was totally ignoring the 'would be' muggers and was focused on the body in a heap in between them. He wasn't quite sure yet, but he could swear that the figure was holding on to an object that looked suspiciously like a war axe. The kind that looked a bit like a demon's wings unfurled. And the figure itself was causing the camo-bot that called him in to go crazy. Opening the series of data bursts it had sent, he saw that whoever this John Doe was, he was pumping out energy that read on the infrared at about the same output of a 20 megawatt power source. Deciding on a course of action, Zinton sent a command to his gauntlets, activating the sedative bullets then jumped down.

The closest man dove back as the vigilante landed a few feet away.

"Shit! It's him! The TechnoCop! Run!"

Zinton wasn't quite sure who'd said it but he didn't particularly care. After a brief debate on whether or not to chase them and deciding on the latter, he switched to tazer bullets and amped them through his armor's energy generator. 'Not too much power,' he thought, 'just enough to give them a very nasty jolt.'

They would be able to get home but would not try the route of crime anymore.

At least, not in his city.

After tazing both men, he turned his attention to the man on the ground.

He could see some bruises and scratches on him and his arm was bent awkwardly. Sprained, possibly broken. The self-proclaimed vigilante briskly searched the man for a form of identity but found nothing. And by the time he turned the man face up again, the scratches and bruises were gone.

He didn't believe- couldn't believe- it. The little wounds weren't life threatning but there was no way any human could heal that fast. No way in hell.

He pondered over the issue until he came to a clear decision. He'd take John Doe in and help him heal. Then, he could be questioned.

Settled, Zinton lifted the man, hooked an arm around his shoulders then, activating his jet boots, he flew off.

"So, who do we have to thank for electricity and electrical stuff?"

"Michael Faraday!" Came the joyous reply echoed from about fifty children.

"Okay! Now, get outta here and go tell mum and dad what you learnt today!" Zed shouted happily.

Immediately, the kids swamped him, each one hugging him before leaving.

"I still can't get over how he does it" the lone camera-man whispered to Allison. "He looks like he was born to do this."

Allison smiled. "Maybe he was. You done with your recording?"

"Soon as that kid's done hanging onto him like he's an angel straight from heaven." came the reply from the grizzly looking elder behind the camera.

Allison was a little hard pressed not to snicker as the memory of a conversation with one of the younger students flashed through her mind. The young one had, in essence, asked why there was a gray grizzly bear taking photographs of his classmates.

"And... Done!" The old bear rumbled. "That'll be a good one for the media houses."

"Thank you, Mr Grinaldi."

Allison nearly jumped out of her skin. Zed was standing beside her.

'How the hell did he move so silently that I didn't hear him?' She thought as he chatted with the camera man until he left.

"What, did you take ninjutsu classes while doing your doctorate?"

He turned to her after closing the door leading to the hallway. "What?"

"Just now." Allison explained. "You were standing in front of the class then, I took my eyes off you for, say two seconds, and you were right by my side. How did you do that?"

"I don't know." He shrugged as he snagged a seat on the edge of a table in front of her. "You must have been thinking about something for you to have missed me while I moved."

"Yeah, I was." She replied. "Zed, I need a favor."

"Hey, you know you don't need to ask." Zed smiled. "If I've got it, you've got it."

She exhaled softly. "Thank God. Really wouldn't have been able to sleep if I'd been unable to keep my promise."

"What promise?"

Allison launched into a quick summary of her dicussion with Madelyn the day before and explained what she needed.

Zed hummed tunelessly, a habit he had cultivated to show that he was thinking over a matter in public, while Allison shifted from foot to foot, eagerly awaiting his reply.

"Okay." He said. "I'll do it on one condition."

"A condition?" Allison hissed angrily. "A family is about to split up, with a young girl about to lose what is most dear to her and all you can think of it is a condition?"

"Hey, don't yell at me. I'm not the one who'd be the cause of the family break down, it would be you."

"What?"

"You had a chance to help but you didn't fulfill my condition." Zed shrugged.

Allison wanted to continue her rant but she couldn't argue with the sound logic he had tossed at her. What she didn't understand was why he would want something for such a little thing. That wasn't like him. But she had no choice.

"What is your condition?"

Zed positively beamed. "Go out on a date with me."

For the second time that afternoon, Allison simply gaped. "What?"

"You've been avoiding all my pleas for a single outing so I decided to use this oppurtunity to get you to accept. Ball's in your court."

She felt a tad bit silly. She should have seen this coming. It wasn't his first attempt, especially considering how she had casually but firmly turned down all his previous offers by claiming that she didn't want to hurt his image by causing rumors especially after the flash scandal that had occured when a lucky media clown was able to get a picture of that first reunion date but now he had her roped. On the other hand, he _was _handsome. And caring. And intelligent.

Damned female hormones. She never stood a chance.

"When and where?"

_**Chapter 4**_

-Captain Ashcroft do you copy? I repeat, this is Fleet Commander Max Newson calling in. DarkStryker Captain Michael Ashcroft, do you copy?-

The Captain in question, Michael Ashcroft, was battling his way through a heavy concentration of invading battle robots, both of his swords flashing around at supersonic speeds as his sentient energy absorbing daggers zoomed around him, sucking in what would have been devastating energy blasts.

"Max, I hear you buddy. How the hell did we fall so fast?"

-Not sure of the details man. What I do know is that this was too well set. They've cut us off completely. All super luminal satellites are down and except for these super secure communications links between militia, intra-planetary communications are royally screwed.-

"I have to agree. The battle bots that have landed have been gunning for two objectives: the Palace and all communications hubs. I got a command from the King. You listening?"

-Loud and clear.-

"I am to get the Princess out of here and into the hangar. That's where you come in. Right now, make your way to the ship designated as the 'Jade Fire'. Get it ready for us with two escorts of your choice. Got that?"

-Copy. Where do I find the ship?-

"In the King's personal flight chamber. Access codes to get there are 7-5-3-9-5-1. Did you get that?"

-Yeah. 7-5-3-9-5-1.-

"You got it. The ships codes are 56-92-88-55"

-56-92-88-55. Got it.-

"Good. On my way." With that, Michael switched radio frequencies to that of his sworn charge, the Princess (and heir apparent) of the planet Dynamix, Breana Avugara.

-Michael?- she yelled over the comms link -Where the hell are you?-

"East Tower, on approach to your royal bedchamber. Why?"

-They've made it in!- came the reply -And they're- a grunt of pain -pushing me. Hard.-

"Be with you in a few seconds" Michael replied as he ducked an energy blast then tore through another cluster of battle bots. A few feet from him was the door leading to the Princess' room. With a burst of speed, he cleared the distance and smashed into the room.

She was beautiful as always, and even though she was in danger, a miniscule part of his mind admired her beauty. From her straw colored hair to her bright blue eyes that flashed with the electrical energy she and all in her family wielded with an almost casual ease to her cupid bow shaped lips and perfectly oval shaped face to her lithe, 5ft 9" frame. Beauty personified.

"Normally, I'd appreciate your stare but right now, we're pressed for time so I'll just go straight to the details." she said as her electric daggers dissipated and the last battle bot in the room exploded.

Less than a second later, she was wrapped tight around him.

He knew her more than most people did and even without the shimmery sheen of tears on her lips, he would still have known. Her racing pulse told a part of the fact but the amount of emotions poured into this was almost the fact in itself. Her Father, the King had told her of the worthlessness of their fighting. In two seconds, he pressed his lips to hers, seeking to share the emotions that so powerfully racked her body.

"I take it that my Father has told you what is to be done?" She asked breathlessly.

"He has." Michael replied, no less affected by the outburst of emotions. "Max is getting a ship ready in the hangar. With escorts."

She stepped back a bit, giving them both space. "Then we should be off."

"Defintely." Michael replied before leaning in for another kiss that was in no way inferior to the first.

Immediately after breaking the kiss, he streaked over to the door an glanced at her, a smirk evident on his face. "Race you there."

"Oh you cheating bastard!" Breana smiled softly as he dove through the nearest window with his swords drawn.

"Commander, what have we got?"

Max swiveled his seat to face the Princess and her personal guard as they bounded up the ramp leading into the cockpit.

"All systems are running hot." He replied "Forgive me for asking but is your father a seer?"

Breana frowned as her latent telepathy picked out Max's insinuation. "No. How bad is it?"

"Very. We only have about four percent of our fighters remaining. Sources tell me that ground forces are barely doing better." Max answered.

"Your sources are right." Michael confirmed as the hatch shut and sealed with a hiss of air. "How are we getting out of here?"

Max swung to face the controls then slipped on a pair of head phones. "The ship is extremely well built: its structure can maintain prolonged journeys of up to three days in hyper-space as opposed to the current maximum of five hours."

"So its space worthy." Breana noted, sitting to Max's left as Michael did the same on the other side. "Weapons?"

"Virtually every Dynamixian weapon is on this baby and then some." Max stated as he flicked a dial and a crackle of static burst through the ship's comms unit. "Netron pulse gun, ion carbines, photon cannons, you name it and its here. Shields are off the whack too. The latest ion shielding tech."

-So its an impregnable tank?- Came a low, scratchy voice over the comms link.

"That's Tomi Glenn," Max explained, flipping more dials as the ship began to thrum with energy, "one half of our escort. The other is Natasha Kime. They're to provide cover for us then see if they can make it out themselves."

Breana paused mid-motion. "Wait. Are you saying that there's no precise surety that they'll survive?"

-Hell Princess, there's no surety that you'll survive.- another, definitely feminine voice said. -Even if we have those four percent F.C Max told you about, we'll still be swamped by odds of up to fifty-to-one. And we're not the 'fifty' side-

"Sweet heavens..." Michael murmured. "And this isn't an unstoppable juggernaut."

"In that case, we're running out of time." Breana decided. "Max, Natasha, Tomi, take us up."

A few seconds later, the hydraulic roof of the hangar slid aside and the three powerful ships, two designated as 'Dyna-330' fighterships and a supremely souped up version of a 'Dynami 180X', rose into the air and screamed into the atmosphere.

"Tomi, Nat, remain on passive scaaners until I give the command." Max ordered as they flew into the battle ravaged air-space around Dynamix.

"Why?" Michael asked, gripping the neutron pulse gun's barrel tightly.

"I need to explain some things." Max touched an icon on the ship's virtual interface. Images popped up on the holo-screen. "There are four known enemy ship classes: the drones- which are utterly redundant and thus unimportant.-, the fighter ship- on par with our fighters in weaponry but lacking the maneuverability and shielding we've got.-, the boomships- heavy firepower and shielding.-, and the overships that act as the flying hangars. Priority on the boomships, then the fighters, the overships and finally the drones. Questions?"

-None.- Came the instant reply.

"Good. Be ready," Max warned "we're going hot in ten seconds."

-Gameplan?- Natasha asked.

"Jump to hyperspace as soon as possible."

-Copy that.-

"Go live... Now!" Max barked, turning action to words by flicking on every scanner the _Jade Fire _had and pushing her into the fray with Tomi slightly ahead and Natasha behind.

Almost as if they were waiting, a flood of diverse enemy craft swam into view, their weapons blasting at the defenders ships.

-Damn!- came Tomi's voice, -It's like attempting a swim through a pool of thick slime!-

-Commander, the hyperspace nav-comp is not functioning.-

"I can see that Nat," Max grunted as he spun the ship hard-to-port to dodge the scarlet-colored enemy weapons blasts while Breana and Michael returned sapphire-colored blasts of their own. "It seems their energy weapons are causing a wide area of inteference with our hyper-comp. We've got to get at least four AU's from here to get out of its range."

"Won't the inteference follow?" Breana growled.

"It will but it can't build as much as it has here." Max answered, this time barrel rolling to the right to dodge a suicidal drone. "We'll be able to micro-jump completely out of the inteference field then make a hyper-jump. Tomi, Nat, move to the following coordinates."

-Copy tha- Woah!- Tomi yelled as he drove his fighter into a quick starboard barrel roll then a sharp double hair pin turn to avoid collision with a squadron of drones.

-Take that you crazy bastards!- he shouted as he launched an ion pulse bomb into their midst. A few seconds later, it detonated, washing all the ships in that squadron with high-impact ions that destroyed every electric system on board.

"Nice flying Tomi, but avoid using the big guns for the small fry." Michael warned as he pummeled a fighter until it exploded.

On the other side, the Princess continually slammed the boomships with the photon cannons until they went, well, boom.

"Nat! Get away from there! Now!" Max yelled suddenly, as the ship scanners detected a sort of ultra-violet tracking beam locking onto her.

-Trying boss, no space!- came the frantic reply as multiple fighters took runs at her, bombarding her with quad-laser fire.

"Tomi, get in there!" Max ordered.

-Ahead of ya Commander.- Tomi replied, sending his ship screaming toward the _Dyna 330 Nat_, blasting his weapons all the way.

Max, with a series of hair-raising maneuvers, joined the fray, remotely activating the plasma turbine cannons and setting them to blow the enemy ships.

Under the superior firepower of the Dynamixian pilots, the opposing ships retreated, attempting to regroup.

-Commander, we're about three AU's away from the hyperspace point!- Tomi pointed out. -If we proceed this way we may be able to make it.-

"First things first, SCATTER!" Max ordered with a shout.

As it turned out, they were all sitting right in the middle of the U.V. tracking beam and whatever the weapon was, it had fired. Now, three white-hot dots of energy were closing in on them, moving at an incredible speed of twelve gees.

Instantly, Max pushed his gee-force accelerator to thirteen point five gees. He hadn't made it to the rank of being a Fleet Commander, the third highest rank in the Dynamixian spatial military, and the point of being chosen as the personal pilot to the heir of the Dynamixian throne without having faced his fair share of seeker missiles. He knew just what to do. And the two he had chosen were his only proteges, the best in their rank.

After the acceleration, he began a series of sharply executed turns and and well practiced rolls, firing any and all enemy ships that crossed his path. To his left and right, Nat and Tomi almost echoing their commander's every move.

To any eye, it was simply an attempt to shake of the missiles.

To Max and those who knew of it, it was called the 'Piroulette'.

-Three minutes to break off point.- Tomi stated as he flipped upside down to avoid a neutrino beam fired from a boomship.

"Copy that." Max replied, steadily detailing the information on the seeker missiles as he pin-wheeled between two overships. A few seconds after, both blew apart, shields ripped by the never ending stream of weapon pulses unleashed by Breana and Michael.

-Two minutes thirty.- Nat reported as she smashed her way through yet another squadron of drones. -They're really trying to slow us down.-

Just then, the _Jade Fire _shuddered violently as a volley of micromissiles exploded against its shields. In response, Max flipped the ship end-for-end while Michael and Breana focused their fire on the boomship that had launched the offensive.

"I'd like to make it outta here with my stomach where it's supposed to be." Breana grunted as the ship shuddered from another micro-missile salvo.

"Break-off now." Max shouted over the comms link. "I repeat-"

-Copy that- Tomi answered as his ship veered to the right while Natasha's flew left.

"What are you doing?" Breana asked. "Shouldn't you stay together?"

"Relax Bree," Michael replied calmly, "let Max do his job."

Tomi Glenn had made it into the Dynamix Defense Fleet at the relatively young age of sixteen. Rumors had it that he had only made it because his dad was on the Fleet Cabinet.

Then, he shattered those rumors when he graduated, _with first class honours, _into the Dynamix Royal Fleet. His reputation had flown up so fast that he had gained the awe of the juniors, respect of his mates and the recognition of his seniors. And that was how he met Royal Fleet Commander Max Newson, the most iconic pilot in the history of Dynamix. From then on, it was a dream come true. Max had taken Tomi and, later on, a closet crush of the now twenty-five year old Tomi, Natasha Kime under his tutelage and had taught them all he knew. The three of them were the best fighter pilots in the Fleet.

And it was because of this knowledge that Tomi and Nat, who were both weaving their way through throngs of enemy fighters and barely outflying the seeker missiles that were doggedly pursuing them, were still alive.

-Tomi, Nat, the re-align co-ordinates should appear on-screen now.- Max's voice crackled over the comms link. -_Aviour Bonne-_

_Aviour Bonne. _Max's secret code for wishing a person a successful flight.

-_Aviour Bonne _Commander_- _Nat replied

"Aviour Bonne" Tomi replied. Squaring his shoulders, he locked in the co-ordinates then activated the focused disruptor beams and the positron pulse guns. The disruptors would rip the enemy shields open allowing the positron pulses to pummel the ememy to dust. Then, Tomi concentrated on flying...

'Two minutes from re-align point.' Nat thought as she fish-tailed between two overships, watching in peripherhal sight as the seeker missile closed in. 'Can I make it?'

Then, even as multiple colored beams of energy rocked her from every side, she steeled herself, as one of the many pieces of advice Max had burnt into her mind surfaced.

_No matter how bad it may seem, once you allow the seed of doubt to take hold, its over._

'Thanks old man Max.' She smiled, using her nickname for him. At twenty-seven, he wasn't particularly old. At least, not when compared to her twenty-three years. And he was cute too. Standing at six feet two inches, he had the typical blue eyes of Dynamixians but his hair was the very rare dark brown, almost black, color found among only in about a millionth of the entire population.

'It would be a wild contrast when compared to my blonde hair,' she thought dreamily only to be awakened to the dangerous environment by a slew of impacts that flushed her shield integrity down to thirteen percent.

-Damn Nat!- came Tomi's voice -Are you purposely trying to get yourself killed or did you just Max-out?-

Natasha gritted her teeth angrily as the tips of her ears glowed pink. Of all the people on Dynamix, it had to be the one person she couldn't understand at all that understood her the most. What baffled her was his behaviour: he was simply, himself. To her, having grown up as a less priviledged girl, he had everything. Loving parents that were wealthy and influential compared to her ever-at-loggerheads, piss-poor parents. It was because of her parents that she joined the Fleet: she wanted a solitary, well organized life. And she had it. Until Max offered her his tutelage and she met Tomi.

She held firm to her belief that he had only made it so far because of his darling daddy's links even though he had gone out of his way to prove himself to her, even going as far as risking his life for hers in dangerous situations.

She knew that he liked, alomst adored her. He'd, once in a while, comment to Max while he thought she was out of hearing range on her 'dogged determination' as he put it.

He was handsome too but she liked him more as a baby brother, though Max had continually said that she was just holding out on him.

The proximity alarms blared as she somehow managed to snap out of her thoughts quick enough for her to slam her inertial damping systems in time to watch a salvo of micro-missiles overshoot their target -her- and explode.

-Snap out of it! Yeah, I love you, and yeah, you aren't ever gonna give me the light of day. But could you at least _try_ not to get yourself killed?-

"Maybe I was wrong." She whispered as his abrupt admission sunk in. "Maybe I've been holding out on you."

Maybe, somewhere, on some level, she was just waiting for him to admit it to her. Because, all of a sudden, she had fallen, head-first, in love.

"Max are you sure about this?" The Princess asked as she watched her pilot send his ship screaming toward the escorts. Behind the escorts, multitudes of enemy ships bore down on them and the distinct wavy distortion of light showed that the seeker missiles were still on their tails.

"Bree, relax," Michael replied, "concentrate on shooting."

"Tomi, Nat, piroulette in three seconds."

"Two."

"One."

At the final count, all three Dynamixian flyers angled their ships upward in a sharp, ninety degree, turn. Then, they initialized their smoke screen defenses, releasing a dense cloud of a specially formulated gas that scrambled the sensors of any ship or missile caught within it.

The result was simple: the seeker missiles, upon flying through the scrambling cloud temporarily shorted out. By the time the hordes of enemy ships flew through, the seekers locked on to them.

"I should never have doubted you." Breana acknowledged as the darkness of space was temporarily banished by the powerful explosion.

-Damn right Princess!- Tomi whooped joyfully.

-Did you know that he created that move himself?- Nat added happily.

"Before we get too cocky we've still got about one AU to go and the _Jade Fire's _down to sixteen percent shield power." Max cautioned.

-I'm down to ten percent.- Tomi replied as he took up his position to Max's portside while Nat shifted to starboard, her shield power equal to Tomi's.

"Okay. They're regrouping so we need to blaze through them as fast as possible." Max stated as his hands continued their never ending dance across the control board. "The way they've started, they'll most likely place the overships in front with the drones stuffed into the little spaces in between. The fighters will probably come out in swarming waves while boomships carry out bombing runs."

-What's our game plan?- Natasha asked.

Max felt a burst of pride. These were his team. The ones he had taught. They were here for him now. They would fight for him as thoroughly as he would for them.

"You and Tomi will take out the fighters. The Princess and DarkStryker Michael will take the boomships. The _Jade Fire's _automatic weapons should do for the drones and I'll send as many missiles to the overship."

-Alright Commander.- Tomi replied.

"Let's go!" Max ordered. "Set acceleration to sixteen gees!"

-This is gonna be a freaking crazy ride!- Natasha shouted as their ships hurtled towards the nigh-impenetrable wall of enemy ships.

_**Chapter Five **_

Various belongings whipped around the room, sorting themselves, held by an unseen force as a woman, possibly a swimmer by her build, flashed around the room with a square shaped device in her hand, making wiping motions across the walls and fixtures in the room. Behind her, a single strap rucksack flew open and different objects jumped in: a vacuumed bag of semi-organic clothes, a credit transfer hand-held array, two energy daggers and a pair of arrays she had personally created. The rucksack snapped shut and dropped to the ground while the other, non-essential, stuff, jumped into a bigger bag.

She touched the remote communications link in her ear and was instantly connected to the hotel's switchboard.

-Environ Hotel-

"Hey, can I get a bellboy to room 898?"

-Bellboy to room 898- the operator stated, -Am I right to believe that this is Ms Caldern?-

The woman smiled as she continued wiping the hotel room. Her disguise remained intact. "Of course. Tell the boy that he will find a bag here. He is to take it to the hangar, ship designation _Blue Blazes."_

-Understood. Have a good day, miss.-

The line went dead.

'Miss Caldern' had completed her mission here. To avoid any problems in case she needed a quick move, she had paid for a month up front though she'd only need a week's stay. Her beautiful, heart-shaped face twisted in anger. Someone was on her trail and had tracked her to Environ, prompting her sudden rush.

Her wipe complete, she snatched up the rucksack and walked out of the room to the elevator. The bellboy she had called for never even glanced in her direction as he walked toward her room. He couldn't guess that the brunette with the swinging bob was the 'Miss Caldern' of long, blonde hair and glittering blue eyes. Good. Her assassin would have a harder time figuring her out.

Reaching the elevator, she pressed the button and waited for the door to open.

She didn't gasp when it opened. Why bother? Multiples had died by her hand so death didn't faze her. Only the effects. For there, sprawled on the floor of the elevator, was the body of the bellboy who had serviced her a week ago.

Instantly, reacting on reflexes honed over years, she dove to the side, rolling to present as small and tricky a target as possible. As she got up, she saw that her roll had thrown her close to the stairway. Without sparing a moment, she threw a hand back in a wide arch, shooting a volley of ice darts, uncaring of her aim, while she touched a little button on her belt before taking off down the stairs.

Her feet, slapping down the stairs never made a sound; by product of her profession, and so she was able to listen. The normal human would say that no one followed her but she knew better. She could hear the slight sounds of breathing. She knew only assassins of the highest level would detect such a sound. Or, inversely, create such.

Two floors down, she ran into the hallway and arrowed for the steel-fibre glass acting as a wall between the hall and the outside. With casual ease, a sleek whip of water appeared in her left hand and she cracked it at the glass. Its razor sharp edge, strengthened by her will, sliced through the glass like a hot knife through butter. Drawing her hand back, she cracked the whip again. This time, as the whip sheared through the glass, she released her hold on it, leaving the whip to dissipate into vapour as she jumped, striking the damaged glass with surprising force for a lady of just above five feet seven in height; most men of six feet would have bounced off the glass like balls where she ripped through it.

Hanging in free-fall for a moment, she used her telekinesis to right herself mid air. A second later, a Venetuan Glider, the mechanical device that allowed the rider to glide through the air at supersonic speeds that she had remotely activated as she dove down the stairs, flashed beneath her, automatically locking onto her feet to prevent any danger of falling off.

'That little stunt was worth a solid nine points.' She thought, reminscing on some aspects of her youth. The gliders were illegal in most parts of the universe but that didn't reduce the profits of the manufacturers. Contrarily, it _increased_ it, as Glider races had become the favorite sport of many teenagers. Including herself. When she was young anyway.

Zooming through the extremely crowded skyline of the planet Krint, she heard the blare of the authorities telling her to stop or be shot.

'Yeah, right.' She thought. 'Give it your all suckers.'

And unable to hold it in any more, she flipped around, doing stunts as she went.

The Krint Intra-Planetary Police Force were in an uproar.

The woman who now zoomed over the city skyline, dodging the Skyline Enforcement Corps, was a bounty hunter known by many names: on Flavhik, she was called 'Trey Goulding'; on Darem IX, 'Kale Derrie'; she had over five hundred known aliases.

And now, she was, simply, 'Miss Caldern'.

The holding permit had just come in, right on the heels of the homicide reported from Environ Hotel, spurring Detective Chief Emma Garnet to order a city-wide hunt for 'a brunette on a Venetuan Glider'.

With over two hundred and fifty troops tearing through the Krint skyline, though on the slower, less maneuverable Drane X Glider, most of her team believed they could have her.

But Emma didn't. She had been on a lot of skyline chases in her day and had seen more than a few abrupt disappearances. And she had the niggling feeling that this would be one of those cases.

So it didn't come as a surprise when, abruptly, all their communications and tracking screen blurred into a haze.

For the first few seconds, the only sound to be heard in the Data Room of the Krint Planetary Enforcemen Corps Headquarters was the crackle of static.

Then, and for a long time after she wondered whether it was herself or one of her colleagues that said it, "Shit."

It was fun.

The gentle, balmy, Krint breeze caressed her skin as she ripped through at full speed, estimating that about two hundred and fifty Skyline Cops were on her tail.

She wasn't bothered. Cops were always inefficient. Against experts, they were useless. Against a legend like herself, they weren't even a factor.

So she enjoyed herself thoroughly, flipping over buildings, between speeding hovercars on the express routes and even, once, releasing the locks on her feet and running across a ped-bridge then jumping back onto her glider. It had been quite a while since she'd last had such intense, nostalgic fun.

Then, as she whipped round a tower, she caught a fleeting glance of something, a dark shape, in her peripheral vision.

That little part of her that relied on instinct told her. The assassin was back.

With an angry snarl, she slipped a hand into a concealed hole in her sack and pulled out one of the arrays she had assembled.

Without fanfare, she pushed a button on it, waited for a few seconds, pressed another on her belt and finally, after another calculated pause, she spun a dial on the array then slipped it back into its slot in the bag.

The array would release an extremely powerful negative feedback burst that would scramble the police data screens while the dial she spun would release another frequency burst that would wreck their radio frequencies by mixing it up with regular radio lines.

'People will be suprised by the amount of swearing their beloved cops do.' She thought grimly as she flew into a hidden hangar, owned by one of the city's underground crime lords, during the ensuing chaos.

She spotted him at the entry and she slowed down as she glided in.

"Gratmor, is it ready?" She snapped.

"Very." The crime boss replied. "The _Dark Shadow_ is ready to go."

"Good." She replied as she approached the ship. "Credits will be transferred to your ultra-link account."

"No problem." Gratmor replied. "Great doing business with you again babe."

A few minutes later, the super-luminal interstellar ship took off.

Gratmor grinned as a shadowy figure stepped a bit into the light, clearly defining a female shape.

"Is it done?" The woman asked.

"As you specified."

"Excellent."

"I did as you asked sister."

-Are you sure she went on the ship?-

"Be serious."

-And the co-ordinates locked in?-

The caller indignantly refused to speak, prompting the reciever to say: -I do not doubt your ability, sister, but our fate and that of the universe lies in many hands, hers included. So please do not be offended but did you lock in the co-ordinates?-

The caller sighed. "I did."

-Excellent.- the reciever replied. -I will continue the work.-

"Haza and I will be here if you need us."

-Thank you, sister. And now that you've mentioned it, I do require your help.-

The _Dark Shadow _was flying at sub-luminal speed. To her, it was okay.

Her excellent foresight had once again given her the edge.

Upon receiving any contract, she arrived there with the _Dark Shadow _at least a week prior to the set time. After locating a handy (not to mention shady) hangar, she would then leave on a commercial transport ship to another planet. From there, she'd link up with one of her contacts that was into tourist transport, hiring another, more obvious ship. Whenever she felt like leaving, she'd simply take off on the _Dark Shadow_ then call the ship hiring agent to take back the ship. No one had ever noticed. Not with actual tourists losing their ships over

Right now, the _Blue Blazes _would be halfway to the G'den Agency. Her trail was covered. She was sure of it. And so, she slept. A long, deep, dreamless, sleep...

The slight jostle of the ship landing woke her up.

'Where the hell am I?' She thought as she straightned in her seat. 'And why have I landed?'

As she studied her ship's logs a dark, brooding fear came over her.

The _Dark Shadow _had been compromised.

Somehow, someone had gotten through the defenses she had in place and had locked in these co-ordinates to her Nav-Com. She would be stuck here, stranded in the middle of nowhere, on the semi-developed, smugglers stop, forest planet of Wilior, for two hours before the lock would be flushed by her reset program.

She had no choice but to wait.

'Damn!' She snapped angrily as she watched her reset program slowly, almost painfully, crack the co-ordinate lock.

"Might as well take advantage of the situation and go surf for intel." She growled.

With her mind made up, she walked into her cabin.

A few minutes later, when she stepped out, there was barely any semblance to the person that went in: her hair was a bright, almost obnoxious, shade of red, her skin had darkened from the almost Gothic look she sported as 'miss Caldern' to a latina shade of brown and her clothing could best, in polite company, be described as 'slutty'.

Catching a glimpse of herself in a reflective bulkhead, she purred "Perfect."

Turning to the control board, she activated the ship's defense systems then walked out of the ship, the remote-activation device for the ship flying into a pocket concealed in her ultra-short shorts and the Glider sliding out behind her.

As she hopped on the Glider and blasted away, a pair of eyes tracked her movement until she was but a speck on the horizon.

"Perfect."

To say that she was royally pissed would be the understatement of the whole fucking century.

She had stayed low, waltzing into different bars in the Zone, acting out different personas, from slutty to cocky to tipsy to full on drunk, to drain the cistern of information as well as she could and she was as successful, hell, more successful than she expected to be.

Then, about an hour into her surf, she became aware of a shadow. It was always there: when she glanced in a window or acted as though she was flipping her hair, using the chance to look back, there was always a figure wearing a dark trench coat a ways behind her.

And now, due to an unwavering feeling of fear she hadn't felt in the last five years of doing her job, she was running through the forests of Wilior, trying to get back to her ship while dodging the dangerously sleek metal chain-whip her pursuer lashed at her through the trees.

Straining her ears to listen through the snapping and crackling of twigs, she ran on, trying to keep trees between herself and that damned whip.

She had just put a tree behind her when she heard the soft _snick! _of the whip slicing through the foliage.

'Damn he's good!' She thought as she spun round and unleashed a volley of ice darts through what she hoped was her hunter's position. As the adrenaline pounded through her system, a thought flashed through her mind: _Who wants me dead?_ Stupid question. The answer had to be just about any one who had an ax to grind with any one of her victims. And being one of the few living legendary bounty-hunters in the universe, the figure ran into millions.

But not all the throngs that hated could afford the price of such a skilled assassin. Especially not when she would be the prey.

And so, her mind, used to multi-tasking, began to consider those rich enough to blow nothing less than five billion credits (the lowest reward for any one who caught her alive or with enough genetic evidence (usually the heart and brain matter) to prove that she was dead) to ensure her death. When, oh yes, _when,_ she killed the damned assassin and got off this wretched planet, the universe would definitely end up mourning the death of some rich bastard.

She was running out of time and she knew it. The day cycle of Wilior would end in minutes, prompting the nocturnal predators of the forest to awaken from the day-sleep and then all hell would break loose.

She knew she could survive her pursuer given enough time under present cicumstances but _no one_ wanted to _ever_ face a nocturnal predator in _the night _in its_ natural habitat. _And she did not want to be the fool to try.

And then, just when tendrils of fear began to curl around her heart, she saw the trees part, giving her an unrestricted view of the darkening skies.

Immediately she accelerated, new energy flying through her, pushing her faster. 'Slow down!' Her mind screamed at her. She knew why. When pursued and given a thread of hope just before despair set in, prey always concentrated on the hope, forgetting the dangers they had dodged. She had seen the reaction enough times to know when she was towing the same path.

'No. She thought grimly. 'I will not fall prey. Not now, not ever.'

And with that determination, she slowed down to her former pace and focused her senses on her surroundings. Just in time too, as she was able to hear the soft whistle of the whip moving through the air, and from the direction, she guessed that it was aimed for her neck!

Instantly, she jumped, pushing herself further than normal with her telekinetic ability and as she flew, she felt a light sting on her back.

'Had to be a surface shot, nothing more.' She thought as she cleared the few feet of forest remaining.

'No time, no time!' Her mind screamed frantically as she paused to get her bearings and activate the ship knowing that her hunter was not far behind.

And then, for the first time that day, Lady Luck smiled upon her: her Glider, which she'd thought was gone when she was chased into the forest, flew straight to her and with a hiss of relief, she jumped on.

By the time she glided into her ship, the remote activation had fully started it up, leaving her to simply take it up.

Which she did without any glitches.

And then, Lady Luck decided that she had fulfilled her day's quota for our poor bounty hunter.

The proximity alarms blared, flying from green to scarlet red: incoming missile. Less than three minutes till impact.

'Wonderful.' She thought sarcastically. 'Just when the aderenaline rush burnt out.'

Glancing over her control board tiredly, she had a fleeting thought of trying to outrun the missile but she dissed it. She was too tired and she'd happily admit it. So, she punched a command on her nav-com and activated the hyperspace drive. In less than a second, she was flying at super-luminal speeds towards wherever. That command was yet another one of her special creations. It directed the ship's nav-com to send the ship to the closest inhabited planet. Frankly, she didn't care where that was. Provided there were spaceships there, no problem.

And with that final thought, she dozed off in the pilot's seat, leaving the treatment of the scratch from the whip till later.

Maybe if she had stayed awake a tad longer she would have seen it. As it was, Raena Niels, consummate bounty hunt_ress_ missed the two glowing words on her nav-com screen: _Unknown Destination._

_**Chapter Six**_

He was getting tired, and whenever he got tired, he got cranky. So, to keep the crankiness at bay, he ordered a meal of grilled Calvarnos beef swimming in a pool of Ixnay gravy with a chilled bottle of Gartimer wine.

Where was she?

He normally wouldn't have waited on this crappy excuse for a planet if he wasn't waiting for someone.

Where was she?

The NytMother had given the girl- what was her name? Even? Whatever.- access to the Nyxian Shadow Paths, making her the first in over a hundred years to walk there. And the Nyxian Paths were no small matter. There was no hyperspace drive that could move a person across the cosmos as fast as The Paths. It was like opening a door and walking through. You simply met yourself at your destination.

So where was she?

'Two days.' He thought as he polished of the remainder of the meal and washed it down with a glass of wine. 'What's taking so long? Didn't the NytMother explain the issue of urgency to her?'

"Hey Dex, pay up for the meal!" Came a gruff voice from the bar.

The man sighed. He thought fleetingly of weaving a memory wipe spell but he decided to just be straight. No need for magic.

So, he reached into his pocket and pulled out five credit chips with a total value of five hundred credits. That would be more than enough.

He got up to slap the credits onto the bar when he felt it.

That harmonizing wave of power.

He'd thought that he could deal with it easily after all those dreams but now, in the face of that same power, he knew now that all he had felt then were just phantom feelings. Ghosts compared to the real deal.

Swaying lightly, he rested on the bar then turned his gaze onto the patrons in the tavern, scanning to find the extremely determined face he had seen through the vision the NytMother had pulled him in to watch.

And so, when he saw her face and his eyes locked on to hers, he knew, without an iota of doubt, that she was the one.

Forget the fact that she was beautiful, though with that round face, her cherubic cheeks and lips, her deep purple eyes and the mass of ebon tresses streaming behind her she most definitely was a heart stopping sight.

No, her captivating force wasn't her beauty. It was her determination and the power she held inside and that cocky, almost arrogant, way she carried herself. The kind that clearly stated: don't mess with me else I'll rip your balls off.

And she was walking straight toward him.

An idea popped into his head as he watched her worm her way through the mass of regulars in Sherley's Pub.

Turning to the bar, he said to Dusare, the barman, "Hey, Dus, see that chick coming?"

Th barman glanced up and, like every other person, his attention was riveted on her.

The man called 'Dex' snickered. "Yup. You see her."

"Sorry mate." Dusare grinned sheepishly. "She's captivating."

"I know. If she asks for me, tell her I'm out back. Got that?"

"No problem mate."

Thanks Dusare. Here," he slapped the chips on the bar, "for my meal and your time."

He looked her way again and, now familiar with the burst of power, winked mischeiviously.

And with that, he strode out, taking a less congested side door out into the sweltering Nur Vale environment.

'By the Red Moon of Nyxia!' Eden swore as she pushed her way through the half drunk horde that blocked her way to the bar, watching helplessly as the man she was directed to find walked out through a side door.

Having spent the last two days wandering around this wretched oven of a planet, searching for the 'man of her dreams', she was not in the mood for games. Her patience was stretched thinner than the diameter of a hair strand and.

It had been a strange time for the raven haired beauty as Nur Vale, a planet on the edge of the InterStellar Planetary Union, was not a place for naïve first timers.

Called the Smugglers Place by underworld denizens, the planet was a haven for all criminals and no smuggler could say that he hadn't been to 'base'.

So, with such a motley crew of criminals, waltzing around and asking for directions to a place called Sheverley's Pub marked her out as easily as if she had simply yelled "Hey you assholes! I'm new here!"

It was only the magic she now wielded, coupled with the skills she received from the NytMother that had saved her from being mugged. Or worse.

However, powerful as her magic may be, it wasn't enough to nourish her. She was a naïve girl, no point in denying that, but she knew her hope lay in the man she had to find.

Surprisingly, upon entering the pub, finding him was remarkably easy. He radiated an aura of power and humility. And he was easy on the eyes too. Standing at probably six feet, he was two inches taller than she, he scanned the room with steel gray eyes shadowed beneath shoulder length black hair.

And, when he locked gazes with her, she could have sworn that a burst of power flashed between them.

He knew her as easily as she knew him.

And then, after slanting her a mischeivious wink, he walked out a side door.

She wanted to scream. Maybe even tear out her hair. The pain might be more easily dealt with than the building sense of frustration in her.

Abruptly, she stumbled forward. She looked dazed a bit. She'd had to force her way through the bodies and now she stumbled? Then it hit her. She had made it to the bar.

Standing upright, she walked up to the barman and opened her mouth to speak.

"You're looking for Mr Dexter? He went out back." The large, dark skinned barman stated without an upward glance.

Eden paused for a second, then: "Thank you Mr..."

"Dusare. The boys call me Dus."

"Well thanks Dus."

"No problem."

And with that, she strode out thorough the same door the man she had seen so many times in her visions had passed.

"Hey you!" Eden yelled as she staggered a couple of metres behind the man. "Dexter or whatever your damned name is. Stop walking so damn fast!"

He stopped and turned round, looking down the street to identify the source of the voice.

"You talking to me miss?"

"Of course I'm talking to you, you swine!" She bellowed angrily as she dragged herself to him. "Of all the stupid immature pranks to play when you know that... Oh!"

The man on the road smiled gently. This wasn't who she sought. She felt her last reserves of energy drain from her.

"Miss? Miss! Are you okay?"

_It's not him. It's not him_. The mantra spun continuosly until her mind could take no more and shut down.

She woke up abruptly to find a man with closed eyes framed by black hair standing over her, a hand pressed to her skin directly beneath her breasts.

Reflexively, she lashed out, slamming a fist to his jaw that sent him crashing into a wall. Immediately, though, the strength that had seemed to flow boundlessly in her simply vanished, forcing her to drop back onto the bed, gasping for breath.

"Oh you idiot!" The man snapped, lifting her shirt up and jamming his hand right back to where it was. "I'm not trying to feel you up. The Creator knows I've got so much more to do than be feeling up a baby/adult."

"Who are you?" She breathed as energy began to flow through her again.

"Stop talking." He replied, his voice dropping from an angry tone to a soft and gentle one. "The magic needs to fully take hold. Just relax and you'll begin to feel its effects."

His voice was soothing and, now that she had relaxed, she knew that he wasn't doing anything wrong. His hand just laid there across her belly, emanating a comfortable kind of warmth.

'Healing magic.' Her mind supplied the information and she understood. The knowledge of the NytMother would simply supply itself whenever she needed it. Interesting.

"Okay, that's enough for now." He said. "You need to get up, eat and rest. Your body will complete the job."

Eden sat up in the bed and glanced around, taking in the strange surroundings.

The man chuckled. "We're in my ship, the _Dark Mage._ I'm the stranger whose arms you fainted into."

Her eyes clouded heavily with suspicion. "Hell no. I know who I saw. You aren't anything like him."

He smiled condescendingly and his face blurred for a second. When her eyes cleared, it was the man she'd met on the road that smiled at her.

'Refined illusion spell. Function: disguise.'

"Wait. So that's you?"

"Yup." His face blurred again then returned to the one she had seen both in the pub and when she first woke up. "I altered a refined illusion spell to work around my aura. It masks my true appearance by altering people's perception of me."

Somehow, in a manner she couldn't explain, everthing he said made sense. "So that means if you don't want to be traceable, you'll appear to a hundred-fold crowd as a hundred different people?"

"Exactly." He turned and walked to the cockpit.

In her mind, she could see the amount of skill and intricately difficult work required to create such a spell. "Wow. You must be a master."

He glanced back, looking at her strangely for a second, prompting her to ask why.

"You really are a novice at this huh?" He said as he touched a few controls on the control board. "Magically, at least in this universe, there are magical levels. From the lowest, you have: the spellcaster, or charmcaster, the witch slash wizard, the sorcerer, the enchanter, the mage and the paladin."

"Interesting." She mused. "Are you a paladin?"

He looked a bit stunned. "Me? Heck no! If I was one I wouldn't need a ship. No, my power level puts me, quite comfortably, between a medium and a higher mage. Rumors have it that there may be a paladin called Zanda but if he exists then he sure as hell knows how to hide."

She was quiet for a while, storing away all this information before asking, "How about the NytMother? And me for that matter?"

"Ah, the NytMother." He sighed. "If there ever was a paladin level magic user, it would have to be her. She's that formidable. That aside, what did you mean by 'and me'?"

"Well, I'm called the NytWitch right?"

"Yeah?"

"On your classification, the witch ranks pretty low."

"Oh. That." He seemed like someone about to face-palm before changing his mind. "You know, I tend to forget that while you are knowledgeable about magic, you aren't all that wise or understanding about it."

"Hey!" She blurted angrily.

"Relax, hottie, I wasn't insulting you. Just stating a fact. Now, to your question, you're right. On the universal scale, a witch ranks really low. But then again, you aren't _just_ a witch. You're a NytWitch."

"I could have sworn that you just said I wasn't magically wise."

"The thing is, the Nyxians don't particularly care about conventional classifications. Did you notice that it seemed like the rite that gave you your power seemed a bit rehearsed?"

She thought about it for a while. It did seem that way. The Sisters all knew what to do and at what time. However, when the fate of the universe hangs in the balance, you try to rehearse whatever you can so that it could get it right.

She nodded.

"That's because it wasn't the first of its kind. I believe there has been four NytWitches, you being the fifth, and I can tell you that, given the chance, any other Nyxian girl would be happy to trade places with you.

So forget it. You are intensely powerful. Judging by your aura you're only a tad weaker than I am and I know that's because you lack experience and practical knowledge." He pushed a button on the board and the ship hummed to life. "Which is why we're going on a test run before trying to find the Star."

Eden frowned as the ship took off. "What?"

"We are going to test your skills. Go get ready." The man replied as the ship broke atmosphere and entered space.

"What's your name?" She asked. "I'm tired of thinking of you as 'the man'."

"Me? Dekker Sharpiro. Your teacher for a while and partner for a lot longer. You?"

"Eden. Eden Gilganna."

_**Chapter Seven**_

Was he pissed off? No.

Hell freaking mad? Definitely.

As Zinton flew landed on the roof of the rendezvous point, he felt the bubble of anger rising inside him. Again.

Two high stakes heists in two weeks. One hit was on the Leighton Leigh Casino, the other, the Purdue County Bank. The first at around eleven pm, definitely high stakes considering the high population in the Casino at the time, and the other, roughly a week and twelve hours later, at eleven am. Carting out a hundred thirty million dollars from a bank in broad daylight was what made this even more stunning.

The tech-savvy vigilante took off the face mask and rubbed his eyes. People were dying to know the man behind the mask, some to praise him, others to jail him. What he knew was that the number of people that would actually die upon seeing his face were plenty. And, being without any direct blood relations as it were, he wouldn't care.

_Allison._

Except her. He would care for her, he would _love_ her until the end.

"Thinking about the beautiful Miss again?" A shadowy yet familiar voice asked.

Zinton replaced the mask. "How you manage to know what I'm thinking is uncanny." He turned to the figure behind him. "How's it going Surg?"

As usual, the hilt of the _ShadowBlade_ glinted silver in the light of the half moon as the human half shrouded in the dark shadow of the tall building beside them stared fixatedly at him. "Zinton the TechnoCop. Been long old friend."

"Yeah. Sorry about that." Zinton replied with a half smile. "Been caught up in something."

"You mean some_one._" Surg stated. "I saw you flying off with him."

Zinton nodded absentmindedly. He _really_ needed to get that new camouflage program up. The old one was without a doubt outdated. Though a new camouflage system would make no difference to Surg. The guy's ability to see auras could slice through almost any disguise, especially when he was familiar with an individual's aura. "I believe that your aura seeing has shown you the truth?"

Surg tipped his head slightly. "Definitely _not_ a human."

"Precisely." Zinton typed a command into his gauntlet. A holographic display glowed, throwing a harsh blue light onto his face. "These are his vitals. Heart rate, blood pressure, muscule and bone density. All above human levels."

"DNA?"

"Not much. Apart from samples from hair and sweat, we've been unable to get any blood samples. All hypodermic needles we've tried bent on impact with his skin. It is like his body is actively resisting us."

Surg nodded, almost like he was expecting this information. "His body is protecting itself while his mind heals."

"Dr Norman is looking after him. His weapon, though is something else. I've been studying it myself and, believe me, there is nothing like it on this planet."

Both men fell silent, passively scanning the city as they thought.

"You think James's prophecy has begun?" Surg asked softly.

Zinton couldn't answer though he knew that it was the only explanation for the strange man's appearance.

A few months back, himself and Surg had made new friends. Some teens they'd rescued from a kidnapping ring. Three girls and a guy. They had agreed to be their eyes and ears in the city, a job they were well suited for considering thier abilities.

The boy, James Anderson, could see into the future.

Then, a month back, the friends they'd rescued with him rushed him to a hospital. According to them, James had woken up in the middle of the night screaming for Surg.

Two days later, he was conscious enough to tell Jim Reeves, Surg's alter ego, why.

Something was brewing. A future that would end the universe. James said that in his dreams, he saw Zinton and Surg standing with a host of others, all facing a being he couldn't comprehend except for its aura. Evil.

After that, he had scribbled down the circumstances surrounding how seven of these _others_ would arrive.

And the stranger Zinton picked up fit the bill cleanly.

"I don't know." Zinton sighed tiredly. "There's so much I have to deal with that an invasion of Earth is not so high on my list. At least, not yet."

Behind his mask, Surg smiled. "The robberies."

"Bingo. The cases are a fucking mystery!"

At that moment, as he received a data burst from a camo-bot, Surg's extended mentality picked up activity two miles from their position.

"You seeing what I'm seeing?" Surg asked as Zinton's jets ignited.

"If your extended mentality is as vaunted as you say it is, then yes. Two miles east from here."

"Neni Seaport."

James woke up with a headache so painful that he almost wished he was dead.

_Almost._

Struggling a bit, he managed a quick glance around before the little strength he had built up whooshed out of him.

'Hospital.' He thought, wheezing softly. 'I'm still in the hospital the girls took me to. And from this damned burn in my chest, I can tell that my energy levels are still low.'

That was one of the down sides to being him. The upside: he could see visions of the future. This dreaded downside: the longer and clearer the vision, the more the energy it sapped from him. And God knows the last one had been the length of an average movie and clearer than HD.

_"It was about an invasion."_ He'd told Jim when he'd visited last. _"I saw you and Zinton with some other people I hadn't seen before. Each with... powers like nothing I'd ever seen before. And then, it took me back. I began to see visions of how you found some of them. It started with a guy. He was in an alley. Zinton found him..."_

He'd told Jim of how seven of the other heroes had arrived.

'I wonder how the rest of the guys are doing?' He thought as his breath stabilized.

'The guys' he was thinking about were his motley crew of three friends, each like him with individual powers and no parents who were all rescued by Zinton and Surg from the kidnapping ring. Jim had offered to pay for them to return to school but they had declined. They wanted to stay on the streets, patrolling for scumbags like the ones who had taken them in the first place. In return, Jim taught them basic (and occasionally advanced) self-defense skills.

There was Kesha DuBaer, the raven haired, ebony skinned beauty also known as Magxima for her ability to manipulate metals and magnetic fields, Mikaela Williams, the brunette olive skinned one with the ability to turn herself and most things she touched invisible and/or intangible at will hence the nickname Ghost and...

"James! You're awake!" Someone squealed.

And that would be Samantha McRae, aka Plasma for her ability to shoot out plasma blasts. His girlfriend.

"Hey babe." He whispered as she threw her arms around him. "Miss me much?"

"Are you kidding?" She whispered, touching her nose to his. "I was thinking of you every moment since we brought you here."

He smiled. "I'd love to say the same thing to you but, honestly, the only times I could think of you were times 'Visionland' let me go."

The little reminder of his visions had Samantha sitting up beside him. "Jim told us about what you saw, and we've been on the lookout ever since, but isn't it possible that it won't come true?"

James forced himself to sit up beside her, pulling her close with an arm around her shoulders. He understood the question. He'd asked himself the same thing during the brief periods when his body could give no more energy to his special vision and his consciousness returned to his body. Moreover, he had recognized the underlying tone in her voice when she spoke- fear-, and he knew he had to calm her down. He had to make her see reason in the bitter truth.

"I've thought about the same things, Sam, and I keep returning to a spot: have I ever had an unfulfilled vision?"

Sam slowly dropped her head onto his chest. She knew where this was going.

"The answer is no. And since it hasn't happened before, I'm guessing it won't happen at all." He continued. "Any how, I still think we should prepare. It would be better for us if we prepare in vain than be caught unawares."

She pulled her head off the comforting warmth of his chest. "We?"

"Huh?"

"You said 'we should prepare.'" She gazed into his eyes. "What didn't you tell Jim?"

James looked away, knowing that he was caught in his words. "I'm sorry I didn't tell him."

"Tell him what?" Sam asked exasperatedly. "And why didn't you tell him whatever it is you're about to tell me?"

James sighed in defeat. "I didn't tell him that, in the vision, I saw us. You, Mik, Kesha and I. We were there, fighting for Earth. I didn't tell him because I know Jim. He'd tell us to hide, find a way to shield us-"

"Because he cares for us!"

James shook his head in frustration. He didn't want to explain it to them. He wished they could be a part of it, be able to feel what he felt when seeing those visions.

"We can't run away from this Sam. Not this future."

"Hell yeah we can!" Sam shouted back with tears streaming down her face. "What made you say that?"

"I am the one who saw the future. I know what I saw and heard. And I know what I felt." He emphasized. "If even one of those heroes that are destined to save Earth die or, for some reason, don't show up, then its over. We'd have lost before starting."

"No." Sam shook her head. "No you've got to be lying."

"Why should I be-"

"I don't know." Her voice was emotion laden as she spoke. "But you must be. Every one has a reason for doing things. I can't lose you, James."

And with that, she stormed out, barrelling past Mikaela and Kesha without even a paasing glance.

James was stunned, so much so that it took Kesha rocking his bed violently for him to snap out of his fuzz.

"Hey, James." Mikaela said as his mind snapped back into his body.

"Hi Mik, Kesha." He smiled weakly, "how's it going?"

Kesha arched an eyebrow at him. "I think _we_ should be asking that question, not you."

James closed his eyes tiredly. "What do you want to know?"

"What happened?" Mikaela asked quietly. "Sam was all eager and set to see you today."

"What do you mean?"

"Somehow, your babe knew that you'd be awake today." Kesha answered. "That's why she was the first person you met when you woke up. She dragged us here."

"How could that have happened?"

"We don't know." Mikaela replied with a shake of her head. "But you haven't answered our question. What did you say to her?"

James sighed then swung his legs off the bed so that he could sit upright. "I believe you both know about that vision I told Jim about?" Both girls nodded. "Well, I skipped out on a little detail. In that vision, I saw us."

Both girls looked startled.

"Us?" Kesha prompted.

"Yeah. You guys, Sam and I were all there."

"Woah." Kesha breathed. "That's just... Wow!"

"That's what you told Sam?" Mikaela asked.

"Basically." James shrugged. "Any guess as to why she ran off?"

The answer, when it came, came from both girls.

"Nope."

As she walked down the roadside, Allison had to admit that she was slightly drunk.

It had been a crazy Friday that had started with three of her girlfriends dragging her out of her office late that afternoon for a girls night out. They'd stopped over at a retro bar and had continued a tradition that spanned close to two years now: they'd moan over the weak points of the week, drink to the strong points and altogether laugh and catch some fun.

Now, at eleven forty-five pm, almost four hours since she had stepped into the bar, Allison was walking the four city blocks to her house with a warm, comfortable buzz that she knew would morph into a stone cold head-pounder in the morning, thinking of the cleaning and shopping she had to do the next day when a rough hand slapped over her mouth.

"Don't move, sweetie," a rough, sour-alcohol smelling voice growled, "and don't make a sound."

Instantly, her mouth slapped shut, trying desperately to stifle her 'scream reflex' as the mysterious man dragged her toward the closest alley.

"Now," he growled, "let's have some fun."

'Oh no!' Allison screamed inside as he threw her to the ground and ripped off her pants.

"Well well. Look what miss respectable's got under her snazzy pants." He grinned evilly. "Cute lace panties."

"Please!" She cried, "I'll give you money! My car! Just please! Don't do this to me!"

"Aw..." He jeered as he pulled his belt and dropped his trousers. "The snooty bitch knows how to beg."

Deep inside, she could feel a pressure building, like steam from a boiling kettle being trapped, with no outlet.

"Now, be fucking quiet and this won't hurt." He whispered crudely as his penis flopped onto her belly.

Building... Like the tension between two warring countries.

With a hand, he shifted her legs apart and knelt between her thighs.

Building... Like the tension in a wire pulled at two opposite ends.

His hands wrapped around her waist and lifted her, aligning his dick to her vagina.

Building... Critical...

He thrust forward.

Snap!

All that energy was released as the head of his sex began to penetrate her folds, causing her to scream and thrash about wildly. In that instant, deep within her genes, a change was triggered. Her genes altered, causing her mind and mental state to have a very profound impact on the air around her. How the change linked her mind to such an external force as the air is unknown but it happened. All in less than fifty miliseconds. And the effect was astonishing.

Immediately, responding to the raging emotions in her mind, the winds within that little alley picked up, going from barely breezy to gale force winds in less than two seconds.

The brute who had tried to take advantage of her was plucked up and flung around, slamming and smashing into at least two walls. _At least._

However, being a first time occurence, such a powerful outburst of her new-found ability was extremely fatiguing. The effect was akin to when one, used to lifting a hundred kilo weight is suddenly burdened with an _additional_ hundred kilo weight dropped on.

Thus, immediately after, Allison fainted.

In a corner, a red dot of light flashed twice.

The little ding signifying that he'd received a data burst wasn't lost on Zinton as he fought. In fact, he would have opened it if he wasn't trying to shut down a smuggling ring he'd been tracking for weeks.

So, his gauntlets set to 'metal bullets' and his mask on auto-lock, Zinton blasted away at the smugglers.

"I can see that you're enjoying yourself." He called out to Surg who was streaking in and out of their midst, leaving barely breathing bodies in his wake.

"Ah, well," the masked swordman replied as he decapacitated a man, leaving the last two for Zinton's bullets to pick out. "a guy has to get his kicks somehow."

"True," Zinton conceded as the smoking gun barrels slid back into their slots. "but you could at least try to leave some alive. Like those idiots." He pointed at some of the smugglers he had only tazed. "They'll be there to tell the cops their story."

"Maybe I got carried away." Surg shrugged. "Anyway, I gotta go. Sam said James would wake up today. I've got money riding on her being right."

Zinton shook his head as he called the cops. "Which of the poor saps bet with you this time?"

Surg smirked. "Kesha."

Zinton winced. "Just don't suck her dry like you did last time."

"I'll try."

"That's what you... Jesus!"

Instantly, Surg was beside his friend. "What is it?"

"Allison! I think she was raped!" Zinton replied as he activated his jets. "I gotta go!"

"Right behind you." Surg stated. Immediately, he allowed his mentality to expand, flowing with the energy of the world until he could barely hold it in. Then, he locked in on Allison's position. Memorizing it, he returned to his body and took off.

_**Chapter Eight**_

_'You're nothing but the useless son of a dead man.'_

_Defeated by a man who was once a friend..._

No...

_'Run Peter! Get off the planet!'_

_Watching as his mother was dragged off to the traitor's chambers..._

No...

_'Mom! No!'_

_Struggling to rise, to fight for his mother's honour..._

No...

_'Peter! You must get off the planet! Go somewhere else! The coup is complete, the conspiracy too deep. Pyrenia's hope lies in you! Go!'_

_Watching almost helplessly as his sister tends to his wounds as best as she can, preparing him for a flight that could end his life..._

No...

_'Alright Peter, that's the best I can do. I'll leave through the West Gate, you go throught the East.'_

_Flying off, leaving his family and all that was once familiar. Dodging the enemy soldiers as well as dodging the dangerous pulses that struck the upper atmosphere of his planet. Getting hit by a solar flare, remembering nothing but the sneering faces of those he once called friends..._

No!

Peter Burnelli jumped out of his bed, eyes searching the room for any lookers before crashing back onto the bed.

The tears had gone now. All that was left was a boiling, festering hatred for him.

Hartle Magmuis. The traitor. The bastard who had killed the true king of Pyrenia so that he could ascend the throne.

His uncle.

Peter sighed. He had done all that he could to stop the final takeover but Hartle was too strong. Experience and intelligence were both heavier on the traitor's side than on his.

Luck, though, was on the Prince's side. Just before dying, his father, Gore Burnelli, had warned him of the coup and had told him of an age old prophecy. According to Gore, the coming coup was a warning to him, telling him to let his son go. He, Peter, would be the Star, one of a band of people, chosen to save the universe from its final destruction. If he could make it to the third planet from Solaris in time.

_'The universe is more important than revenge, Peter. If you stay to avenge my death, there may not be a universe for you to enjoy your vengeance. Patience, my son, is the key.'_

He was following his father's words, flying through the cosmos and stopping only when his body begged for rest. Luckily, his father had socked away a bit of a fortune for him in off-planet accounts. Peter only had to state the account code into the credit array he had... acquired and the cash needed would be transferred.

So far, he was halfway through, resting on Dacset until his strength returned. Then he would go through the cosmos again, propelled by the flames all Pyrenians could create and manipulate at birth.

He relaxed his body, but his mind was on fire. 'When my obligation to the universe is done, I swear on my father's grave that I will return, Hartle, and I will show you the mercy you showed my father.'

Luke Venn, known to the general public as the villain Sydlocke, was not in a happy mood.

Charged by the Master to oversee the destruction of the planet Earth, Luke had immediately begun to map out strategies to complete the mission. Darkholde Excelsis, the Master's technological factory situated within an asteroid had begun repairs on the ships that had just returned from destroying both Thoria and Dynamix.

On the side, though, Luke wanted something special. The Master had inspired him by creating a cy-droid. It had the brains of a human locked into the most advanced technological body. Siege.

His idea was a bit gentler than the Master's. He wanted a weapon, something that would adhere strictly to orders. A killing machine with an on/off switch, unlike Siege. Simple.

To do this, he created his design and fed it through the analoids. The general response was 'yes'. It could be done.

Now, with a factory control droid standing in front of him, he was about to hear that the creation of this weapon had hit a snag.

"What is it?"

-Sir, the synthesizer drones are having a hard time creating a feasible energy source.-

"What sort of energy is required?"

-A simple, efficient yet powerful energy source will work-

"Interesting..." Luke smiled thinly, his mind locking onto a piece of information and developing a plan. "If I brought back a Pyrenian, would draining him provide sufficient amounts of energy?"

The factory control droid immediately activated its secure link into the Excelsis network, hooked up with an analoid and passed the information. A few seconds later, the answer came. -Yes. Even amassing a quarter of the energy a Pyrenian can produce in a burst will be more than sufficient for Project: Null Mechtos.-

"Excellent." The mental calculations he had made were accurate. "Prepare the _Spike_ jump-jet and get a squad of Elite Battle-bots ready."

-Acknowledged. Destination?-

"Dacset. We're going hunting."

Somehow, instinctively, Peter knew that there was danger around. It was in the energy surrounding him, dispersed in the spatial infinites. Warning him.

It had felt this way since he left Dacset. For the past two days Peter couldn't shake the claustrophobic feeling... It was like he was trapped in a room with the walls closing in.

And the feeling had just doubled in intensity.

Immediately, he blasted forward, tripling his speed, hoping he could make it to his next waypoint, Metrolius, before the walls slammed, squishing him to a gooey paste.

-Sir, subject has increased his velocity. Estimated time of arrival on Metroluis is now two days, twelve hours, fourteen minutes and forty-nine seconds.-

Luke had expected such a move from the Pyrenian. Their race was gifted with the ability to sense danger. But he had been hunting long enough to know that spooked prey ended up in the hunter's sack.

"Remain stealthed." He ordered. "Maintain this distance."

The pilot droid implemented his command and only experience with the ship (and possibly the readouts on the holo-control screen) made him know the ship had accelerated, going from six gees to nine gees.

At their current speed, they would remain within visual range of the Pyrenian.

Luke smiled waspishly.

_He _would be able to see the Pyrenian. The stealth mode of the ship would prevent the situation from being a vice versa type.

Finally on Metroluis, Peter walked into a bar, hoping to get a drink.

What he got was something else.

"Hey!" A man behind him shouted angrily. "You pushed me you idiot!"

Turning to apologize, he never expected the fist that came crashing into his face.

Immediately, rage poured into his bloodstream, reddening his vision at the corners. With a roar, he struck out himself, his punch flattening the man's nose and sending him flying into the opposite wall.

All hell broke loose as the patrons of the bar stood up for their own, lashing out at the uppity stranger who thought he could beat up their man without repercussion.

Peter fought on, fuelled by the boiling rage, his mind so locked on to his opponents that he never noticed the new, professional looking men that entered until his hands were bound in energy cuffs.

"You're sure you want to take him?" The Metroluis defense minister asked as he scanned the documents of the young, smartly dressed official standing opposite him. "For all these crimes, I think you should just let us handle him. Here." He added pointedly.

Luke Venn, currently disguised as Ken Vulen, an officer from the InterSpatial Anti-Crimes Unit, the universe's largest crime fighting organization, smiled thinly. If the fat minister knew that he was looking at the face of the universe's fifth most dangerous person, the energy source would have been his for the taking. But since that would be against the plan... "Possibly sir. But anyone powerful enough to destroy a planet's defense systems single handedly should not be trifled with. And, unfortunately, that is not the worst case scenario."

The minister's eyes narrowed.. "What would that be?"

"We believe he might be in league with the tyrant Skidin."

The minister's face portrayed utter, undiluted, shock.

Perfect.

"Infact, though we are unsure, we believe he might be a Warrior."

The tyrant, Skidin, was the most dangerous man in the known universe, wanted on the real ISAC database for the decimation of countless worlds including Xeno, the true planet of the X-Generators, the universe's uber-crack police force. The Warriors were the two commanders of Skidin's army prepared the planet for the Final Decimation.

An offence couldn't get bigger than that.

The warrant to collect the prisoner landed in Liutenant Ken Vulen palms in less than a minute.

"Thank you for your co-operation sir." Ken smiled as he saluted the minister, executed a sharp about-turn and exited the office.

Peter just couldn't understand it. He understood that he was wrong to have engaged in a bar fight but to be left in a jail house without a standard Public Offense Pleader? That was simply insulting to the exiled prince.

So he decided to leave. Since he hadn't put down his name or shown his naturally 'flaming' self, he had been put in a normal cage. Sad for them, lucky for him.

Immediately, he thrust his hands forward, palms outward, sending a searing blast of flames right at the metal bars. The good thing about regular cells? They don't have those damned energy bars.

After taking a deep, calming inhale, Peter burst into flames with the exhale, every inch of his body covered with fire.

He jumped through the hole in the cell bars into the walkway.

"Stop moving!" yelled one of the patrolmen on duty as he pulled out an ion blaster.

"Listen to me man!" Peter replied calmly. "I've told you what happened in the bar was an accident and I'm willing to pay the fine plus damages. Why won't you listen to me?"

"He won't listen because he's under InterSpatial command." Another man answered as he walked in. "And you're under InterSpatial arrest."

Peter sensed something strange about this man. Cloaked in a sharp looking uniform of deep red and black, he portrayed the image of a competent officer yet he had a strange feel to him. It was almost like _he_ was a fake.

"Under arrest for what crime?"

The man smirked. "Nice one. Acting as if you don't know. Well, let me oblige you. You are under arrest for criminal links to the tyrant Skidin."

Peter didn't waste a second to react. He knew the name _Skidin_ just as he knew the likely possibility of making it out of a courthouse. That charge was _way_ to heavy for him to afford delay.

So, instantly, he focused his flames around his fists to steel-cutting temperatures then poured them into the ground beneath him, slicing into the floor beneath him.

"No!" the officer screamed as Peter dropped into the floor below. Grabbing his comms link, he screamed, "Subject just dropped a floor below mine. I'll begin the chase. All units lockdown the building. Subject is armed and highly dangerous. Repeat subject is armed and highly dangerous."

"Should I follow you sir?" the patrolman asked worriedly.

"No need to, man. Just alert the other police men. I'm not sure my containment crew will hold him."

The foolish Pyrenian had run into the trap as easily a baby into a play pen. After that little display of cutting through the floor, he had triggered the battle bots set there. Capturing him would be easy.

Luke Venn, a.k.a. Ken Vulen, jumped into the hole with a devilish smirk.

He was in trouble and he knew it.

Peter had flown as far and as fast as possible while remaining in Metroluis's atmosphere yet the crazy police robots had remained on his tail, hammering him with lasers. It had to stop and he had only one concievable escape route: space. The colder regions of air close to space or simply the sub-zero temperature of space would freeze their circuitry. It had to work.

It was his last ditch effort to survive this injustice.

'The fool!' Luke yelled triumphantly in his mind as the Pyrenian abruptly changed his flight pattern and flew right at the setting sun. He was done for. The _Spike_ was hovering in orbit, its tractor beam actively scanning the planet. As soon as the Pyrenian escaped the planet's atmosphere he would be in captivity.

Luke did not want to miss that.

Turning to the patrolmen he shook his head as his prey grew smaller in the distance. "Thank you gentlemen for your assistance but my ship is waiting to pick him up. You are all dismissed but be sure that I will make sure the Senator of Defense knows of the great men we have guarding this beautiful planet."

The patrolmen smiled happily and so did Luke, though for an entirely different reason. Expecting a commendation? More of a royal reaming if he had anything to do with it.

Then, an old memory flashed through his mind.

No. Better to have just unfulfilled hopes than broken hearts and families. He would leave ISAC out of it.

Touching a small device in his ear, he activated the ultra-frequency comms link between himself and the jump jet. "Link! Beam me up now."

A few seconds later, amidst a shimmery curtain of light, Ken Vulen was gone, never to return.

Provided Luke Venn didn't need a cover.

_**Chapter Nine**_

"The first thing you need to know about magic is this: you don't create the energy, you only manipulate it. When you understand this fully it will become easy for you to use magic for longer periods of time."

About twenty feet away, Eden glanced around and swallowed quite audibly. "Yeah, are you sure you're mentally stable?"

Dekker flashed a grin at her. "Why?"

"In case you haven't noticed, you brought us to the middle of nowhere to fight on an asteroid devoid of an atmosphere." She replied, struggling to keep her voice calm. "How the hell are we even breathing here?"

"Magic. And that leads us to the second really important lesson." Dekker shrugged. "To manipulate the magic around requires two major things: the Will and the Word. The Will is more than just thought, it is the true power that moves the magical forces around you. If your Will is powerful enough, you can pull a mountain out by its roots."

Eden's eyes grew round as dinner plates at this and Dekker chuckled.

"Not that I'm advising you to go pulling mountains out of the ground though. That would upset the natural balance of whatever world you are on if the world has life. That will be your third lesson: subtlety. But I believe you understand what I meant.

The Word, on the other hand is the physical exertion of your Will on the world. It is not as necessary as the Will but it does serve its own purpose."

"Why then do we need words of magic that are spoken in another tongue?"

Again, Dekker flashed his roguish grin. "Actually, we don't. The 'words of magic' as you put it are simply a totally different language. When you translate them, you'll discover that they have simple Common meanings."

"So they mystic words of power are just for show?"

"Well most of them are." Noticing the look of disbelief she wore, Dekker groaned. "Come on! Do you know how difficult it would be to convince people that we're not trying to scam them if all the time we had to work we'd simply say what we wanted straight out? There'd be no respect for magic users anywhere."

Eden still looked skeptical. "What about the other words of magic?"

"The First Mage did that. Only true-blooded mages and Paladins can work those forms of magic. If an untrue mage tried, he'd die in an instant, consumed by the power in those spells."

"Guess the First didn't want any idiots using devastating powers against the universe." Eden said softly.

"That must be true." Dekker replied with a dark grin that made his (temporary) apprentice shiver nervously. "Now get ready. Our first training session is about to begin. The objective is simple. Put your opponent, which would be me, down. I'll also have the same objective. Try anything that comes to your mind. Just try to defeat me."

The look of abject shock on Eden's face was priceless. "What?"

"I know you aren't deaf." Dekker replied suddenly serious as his feet shifted into a battle stance. "And that dainty sword strapped to your waist isn't for slicing bread at the dinner table."

Eden's eyes filled with fury at the jibe and, subconsciously, her body flowed into a fighting stance as her right arm went to the sword.

"This is not a bread knife." She growled, the rumbling sound carrying a clear warning across.

"_Shrak!"_ Dekker whispered. Instantly, a bolt of light flashed down and, when it cleared, a shimmering silver, five and a half foot long staff remained in his outstretched arm. "Prove it."

Standing on the asteroid in the cold vacuum of space, both stood, silently, glaring at each other as their bodies glowed, one silvery, the other purple.

Then, in a twinkling of an eye, NytWitch dove forward, pulling the sword from its sheath as she went.

D'archMage reacted instantly. Lifting his staff into the air, he chanted, _"Sonix barricum!"_ before slamming the weapon into the ground.

Her mind located the spell in its vast archive and relayed the information to her. 'Sound wall. Solution: slice through. Response: _Oblivion hex._'

It seemed like a strange solution to her but she did it anyway, swinging her sword-wielding arm in an under-arm manner before aiming her left palm at him and initiating her response.

To the regular eye, the deep purple bolt of energy would have blended in perfectly with the darkness of space. To Dekker, though, it glowed like a flare.

He bent his knees a bit and began to spin his staff. Then, just as the dark bolt was to hit the staff, he chanted, "_Phescre!" _

The shielding spell had done its part but the spell had enough power behind it to explode spectacularly, rocketing his body a couple of meters straight up but with the agility of a professional acrobat and a touch of magic, he was streaking back down, straight at his opponent.

Eden knew within seconds of the blast that Dekker had survived. The obvious reason being that the spell she'd fired off at him was supposed to teleport him into a pocket dark matter dimension only she would know about and not explode violently. So it didn't quite surprise her when she saw him streaking toward her.

The chant, _Haos burst, _ the sudden burst of light, followed by the hammer-like staff blow that sent her tumbling across the rocky ground of the asteroid did that very easily.

"Darling you're too easy."

Eden growled angrily as she clawed her way back to her feet. "You think you're so good? Let's try that again."

As easily as blinking, his feet slipped into his familiar fighting stance as he grinned easily. "With pleasure."

She groaned in pain as she came to, blindly lifting her right hand to her head. 'Damned hangover!' She thought as her head pounded evilly. 'I knew I shouldn't have tossed back that last tequila shot.'

Gently, still not opening her eyes, she moved her left hand toward her bedside table. And stopped short.

Something was taped to her hand.

Instantly, more memories of the previous night poured in. Walking home. The man with the smelly breath grabbing her. Being thrown to the ground and having her clothes torn off.

Slowly, fearfully, she cracked her eyes open.

The first thing she noticed were the twin lights hanging over her, blasting harsh beams of light into her skull. Soldiering on, she turned her head to her left and saw the I.V. drip stand. 'Hospital? I'm in a hospital?'

The energy she'd felt when she first awakened seeped out of her like water out of a drain then.

"You're awake now." A voice stated by her side. "That's good."

She heard a shuffle of feet and a male figure walked into her line of view.

"Zed?" She whispered, her voice coming out as a harsh croak that grated against her throat.

"Relax. Let me get you something to drink." He replied gently before walking out of there.

'What is going on here?' She thought to herself. 'Why am I in a hospital with Zed?'

"Don't think too much about what's going on." He stated as he walked back into the room. Dropping the glass on the bedside table, he gently eased her into a seating position before helping her with the drink which turned out to be warm milk.

Feeling her throat muscles relax, she tried to talk again. "Zed, where am I?"

"You're in my house." He replied. "A... friend of mine brought you here. He said you'd faced a bit of trauma." He paused, his face hardening angrily. "Near rape experience."

Immediately, she averted her eyes. 'Just great.' She thought furiously. The one person she didn't want poking into the events of the previous night was the person whose house she was stuck in. 'Figures.'

"Allison." He said her name so softly it seemed like a gentle summer breeze blowing across her face. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. Well, getting fine." She replied tiredly. "Sorry."

He seemed baffled. "Why?"

She shrugged. "I dunno. Guess I'm encroaching on your personal space."

Zed let out a sigh. Women. You just couldn't peg them down.

"I need to go now." He stated as he gently pulled out the I.V. needle from her hand and wiped a swab across it before placing a plain Band-Aid across the spot. "Ellena just called to remind me of a meeting."

Her brows furrowed. "Wait. What's today's date?"

"Tuesday twenty-fifth June."

"So I was asleep for..."

"Three days." He shrugged. "I called your principal. He's ok with you skipping out on this week. Feel free to walk around. I'll alert Paul so he knows."

"Three days." She mumbled. "I've been out for three days."

He reached out to pat her knee gently. "Just relax. I'll be back later."

As he walked down the hall, he flipped his phone out and speed-dialed a number.

-Hullo? That you Mr Parkington?-

"Definitely. How's it going James?"

-Alright I guess. Could be better but I ain't complaining.-

"What's wrong?"

-Ain't nothing you can help with.-

Zed grinned knowingly as he stated the answer alongside James.

"Samantha."

-Once again, you're right but I know you didn't call to talk about my love life. Spill.-

All hints of fun disappeared from his voice. "Have you seen anything?"

-Yeah. The Bountybabe's gonna drop in soon. Maybe two hours, right over Bay Resort.-

"Crap. Couldn't she drop in somewhere safe and not in the glaring daylight?"

-Sorry Mr P.- the boy replied and Zed could almost see him shrug. -I just see the visions.-

"Alright. I'll make preparations to drop in and find her. Meet me at the office to get passes into the Bay. I'll need eyes and ears on the ground."

-Got it. I'll get the girls ready and we'll meet you in thirty minutes. Bye sir.-

"You do that. See you later." He snapped the phone shut, ending the call then pulled out his palmtop. A few seconds later, a reminder was set.

"Mr Parkington?"

Zed glanced up to see his butler standing a few paces away. "Yes, Paul?"

"Will the lady be staying with us for the rest of the day?"

"Likely."

The butler arched an eyebrow. "The usual?"

Zed smiled. He was known to the paparazzi to be a conservative flirt, enjoying women on a near monthly basis. Yeah. Right. Only three people knew the truth, Paul being the last on that list.

In reality, though, once the 'lucky' lady arrived, he'd slip in a drug he had synthesized into her drink. Then, once the effects of the drug took hold, she'd hallucinate, have an explosive orgasm and then sleep off. Crude but it allowed him to keep up his _true_ nightly pursuits.

And Paul? He stayed around in case, against all odds, the ladies woke up. If they did, he'd administer the drug, again, in a drink._ Se finit_. Yup. They'd had some wild times, Zed and his butler. And to think that the old butler was actually a twenty-two year old highly skilled and sought after bodyguard.

"No, Paul." Zed smiled. "She's special. Allow her free movement. I need to be at the office in twenty."

"No problem sir. Have a nice day."

To any female, a beauty sleep is a very important thing. And when that female doesn't actually have to think about beauty before sleeping the results come out even better.

Unless the sleep is shattered by the blaring of alarms.

"What in all the twisted hells?" She roared angrily, actually drowning out the sounds of the alarms. "Proximity alarms? How come? I couldn't possibly have reached..."

Her enraged shouts died in her throat as she saw where she was moving to on the holo-map.

The planet Earth. In the Null Sector, over nine hundred AUs from the edge of the InterSpatial Union.

Repeat: what in all the twisted hells?

Even more confusing to her was the timing. She had never missed a jump in her career yet, in three minutes, she'd be coming out of hyperspace _inside_ the planet's atmosphere.

"Damn it!" She snarled as she looked through her ship's logs. The damned virus she'd flushed had survived and had dumped her on this bloody backwater planet.

Turning the cockpit blue with swear words, she worked frantically to pull her ship out of hyperspace pre-ETA. "This'll teach me to work a bounty that Slim Shaddeal's paying." She muttered angrily. "The stingy bastard proabably set this up so he wouldn't have to pay a dime."

Standing back, she glared hatefully at the control board. 'When all else fails, go insane.' She decided.

"Holo-com, activate auto pilot upon hyperspace exit. Set parameters to hover."

-Access denied.- came the smooth metallic voice. -Omega level code encryption engaged.-

Raena gawped. Omega level? That was _her_ creation. A last ditch maneuver to stop her ship from falling into the wrong hands, the Omega level code would activate a self-destruct sequence that would detonate two minutes after activation. As far as she knew, she was the only person that could activate the code and it would only work when activated _outside_ the ship. What in all the twisted hells was going on?

"Detonation time?" She barked at the ship.

-One minute forty seconds.-

"Ship exiting hyperspace in one minute twenty." She snapped. "I've got a minute to prepare and twenty seconds to get off this ship. Gotta make it count."

With a sprint, she burst into her cabin, searching through her possession for what to take along.

"Techno-organic clothes? Yeah. Credit array? Maybe, just in case I make it off this planet and back to the InterSpatial Union. Tools? Definitely."

Tossing in a few more things, she raced back to the cockpit. Twenty seconds till hyperspace exit. Just enough time.

Hurriedly, she ran to the passenger doors, activating her Glider.

'Okay, I've probably got ten seconds to get out of here so I'll have to glide down.' She thought as she waited. 'Gotta time this perfectly.'

A few seconds later, the ship shuddered as it exited hyperspace.

Immediately, she slammed on the 'emergency open' switch.

Nothing.

"Oh come on!" She snarled as a shimmering blue shape grew from her hand. In her sudden panic, she'd forgotten that the Omega level code was designed to keep whoever took the ship _in._ Now she had to slice through a foot thick, six-by-four foot durasteel door in less than twenty seconds.

"Damned Lady Luck!"

Zinton hated working during the day. It just kind of kicked against his nature.

However, since he'd the call earlier, he'd known that he'd have no choice.

So, here he was, standing on the top of the Bay Mall, watching for any strange occurences.

"Forsyt, anything?"

-Sorry Z-Man, I got nothing.-

"Wonderful. Keep looking." He replied. "And how are the girls enjoying their outing?"

-They are loving it. They're at the spa right now. Sam went for the volcanic mud bath, Kesha for the seaweed wrap and, in what I think had to be a fit of insanity, Mik went for shiatsu.-

"Shiatsu? For real?"

-Yup. You'd think she's a delicate girl, with her looks and all yet she's tougher than nails.-

"Never judge a book by its- I've got something!"

-What?-

"Looks like... A spaceship?"

-Be ready for whatever's coming. Forsyt out.-

Zinton watched, enthralled, as the space vessel that had appeared out of the blue flew in a low trajectory. On the ground, people hung around, pointing in shock at the big 'airplane' that had just appeared out of nowhere.

As abruptly as it had appeared, it exploded.

'Imploded.' Zinton corrected as he watched the ship collapse in on itself, emitting a bright flash of light before disappearing. 'Interesting. It actually imploded.'

Just then, the ultra-computer embedded in his face mask picked up movement and zoomed in automatically. It turned out to be a woman struggling to get on what looked like... a glider?

"Okay, contact has been made." He said as he activated his jets. "Let's go catch a falling beauty."

"Hope I'm not hitting you too hard Dekker?" Eden asked with a falsely innocent smile as the man shook dust from his clothes following his recent tumble.

"Nope." Dekker grinned. "In fact, you're progressing faster-"

Mid-sentence, he burst into motion, streaking forward in a white blur while his staff, now looking like a solid white shield as he spun it, deflected all the dark energy bolts flying at him.

Watching as her explosive bolts were swatted aside, Eden jumped and flipped a few feet backward in a desperate bid to create space for herself without letting up her assault. As she landed, she dropped to the ground and lashed out with a spinning kick. "_Pyre Blocis!" _From her spinning foot a wall of purple flames burst out, racing toward the approaching white streak. Without waiting to see his counter, she cartwheeled to the left then punched a fist into the ground, sending her power roaring into it so that by the time she stood up the ground had grown into a twenty feet high, thirty feet wide wall.

Just as she paused to catch her breath, she felt a light tap on her left arm. Moving so fast that she blurred, Eden dove to her right.

Only to slam into Dekker.

"We need to move now."

Eden swallowed the curses that jumped to her mouth at the sudden seriousness she heard in his voice.

"What's going on?" She asked as she slid her sword into its sheath.

"Hold on." He growled as he grabbed her forearm. In a flash, they were on his ship.

"Hey, you could warn a girl!" She snapped as she pulled her arm out of his grip.

"I'm sorry but the plan has changed." Dekker replied curtly as he worked the control board. "To clarify, I have a special connection to the Star, one that you have but will have to unearth, that allows me to sense his position. Till a few minutes ago, I could sense him approaching that asteroid we were sparring on. Then, I felt a wave of panic and fear before he suddenly changed paths, moving almost directly opposite us."

Eden felt a sinking feeling in her belly. "He was kidnapped? By who?"

Dekker shrugged. "I don't know. But we're off to find him."

_**Chapter 10**_

In the deep recesses of hyperspace, the _Jade Fire, _the ship carrying the last living royal Dynamixian and her friends/guards, journeyed sedately as it neared its destination.

"Hey Max." Michael greeted as he walked into the cockpit.

"You're awake." came the tired reply.

Eyeing the fatigued man at the control board, Michael asked, "You didn't sleep did you?"

Max sighed. "Nope. Too busy making sure the trajectory set wouldn't be one of those types that would dump us into the core of a planet upon hyperspace exit."

"Ouch." Michael grinned. "Talk about a hot landing."

"Wow. A joke from a DarkStryker? The universe must have tipped on its axis." Max smiled.

"It's a possibility." Michael replied. "Is the Princess still in her cabin?"

Instantly the smile vanished from Max's face. "Yeah. She woke up a while ago but has remained turned away from the cam. I think she's... she's in pain Michael."

Michael didn't wait a second longer. Tossing a quick "Be back soon" over his shoulder, he darted to the Princess's cabin.

"Princess?" He called as he knocked. "Breana?"

Nothing.

Desperately, he tried the door. It opened.

"Breana?" He whispered softly to the body laying on the bed.

As a DarkStryker, Michael had enhanced body functions and so it was easy for him to see her body shivering slightly.

"Breana?" He whispered again as he walked toward her. "Please Bree, tell me what's wrong."

"I'm sorry to have bothered you Michael but I'm fine. I'm just tired." She replied without turning to him.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he reached for her shoulder. "Breana..."

Abruptly, she jerked off the bed and snapped.

"I said I'm alright! Do I look bad? Just leave me alone!"

Michael stood up to face her, standing three inches taller than she, and glared into her eyes. "No. You wanna get pissed off and blow me to bits? Give it your best shot. You know I can take it but I will not stand around, watching you destroy yourself because you lost your family."

Her eyes blazed with bright blue energy and the air felt, quite literally charged. "How dare you undermine my feelings?! I didn't just lose my family, I lost my PLANET! And all I could do was run away because of some damned prophecy?"

"What about Max?" Michael replied calmly. "He lost his family and his two best friends, myself excluded. And all because he was ordered to do so by your father.

We have all lost a lot Bree. Our strength now lies in our willpower. Will you simply allow this guilt to rip you apart? Or will you pull yourself together to save another planet from the same suffering?"

For a few seconds, the tension hung so delicately in the air that a feather could have disrupted the entire balance.

Then, with a heavy shuderring breath, Breana flew into his arms, wrapping him in a tight hug.

"I'm sorry." She whispered brokenly. "I'm so sorry. I've been horribly conceited, seeing only my own pain while ignoring yours and Max's. By the Creator, I feel like an ass."

"Don't." he replied softly, running his hand through her hair. "Don't get yourself down ok?"

"I won't. I promise."

Abruptly, Max's voice boomed through the cabin's speakers. –Great to see that you're up and about again Princess but I thought it would be good to let you know that we've almost arrived.—

Breana lips quirked a bit as Michael groaned. "Max! Damn it, I was already thinking of some time with her. Alone."

-Oops.- came the dry response. –Me and my bad timing. Get your lazy ass up here man. That wasn't directed at you Princess.—

"I guessed so." She replied with a full grin. "Don't worry Max. I'll drag him up myself."

Michael's eyes grew wide. "What? You're actually supporting him?"

-You heard the lady.- Max shot in as Breana spun Michael around and began to drag him away.

"This is a conspiracy!" he moaned, though he let her pull him. "And with the highest authority available actually _supporting _the conspiracy-"

-You are royally screwed.- Max laughed. -Excuse the pun Princess.-

"Excused."

"So, James, how many people are we expecting now?" Kesha asked as she walked with her friends to their safe house.

To her left, James, the only guy in this otherwise girls-only group, sighed. "I already told you K, I'm only sure of five more. Three of whom should be here in a few hours."

"So, the Princess and the two-man entourage will get here in a couple of hours." Mikaela repeated. "What about the archer?"

"That's the damned twisted thing about this entire-" he gestured around for a few seconds. "-thing. The Princess is the one that's meant to find the archer. That's why we need to find her and convince her to help us."

"Otherwise we're royally screwed?" Sam asked.

"Excusing the pun, yes." James sighed. "Totally, royally screwed."

"So, the planet is just another one with a rocky exterior and a core of molten elements." Breana frowned. "I really don't see what's so attractive in it."

To her right, Michael agreed with a nod.

"You guys don't seem to understand." Max replied. "These are the results of scans by the ship's sensors. From about two AUs away. The real info can only be obtained when we're on the planet. Maybe then we can begin to piece the reasons for the prophecy the Princess talked about."

"What's the tech level of the planet?" Breana asked.

"Definitely _not_ interstellar travel level." Max smirked.

The Princess arched an eyebrow questioningly. "And you know… why?"

"No spaceships flying around." Came the quick reply.

"Just one thing." Michael stated. "The ship. How do we land it, conceal it and fuel it if we ever need it? The place is populated."

"This baby's working with Dynamix's latest _Blackout _concealment tech." Max replied with an almost loving smile. "Those hillbillies won't know when we arrive and park."

"This _baby_?" Michael asked with a look of disgust. "Dude, it's a _spaceship._"

"Don't listen to him darling." Max said soothingly to the ship while shooting a blazing glare at Michael. "He doesn't know what he's saying."

"I'm _saying_ that Max should **stop** falling in love with _ships_ and try real _people-style girls!_" Michael shot back with his own glare.

Beside them, Breana face-palmed. "Boys _please_ behave like grown-up _men_."

Both men shared a quick grin before replying, in the whiniest tone possible; "He started it."

Breana had to run through some of her favorite meditation mantras to avoid unleashing an electric storm on them both. That and continually reminding herself that shorting out the ship's circuitry would be a seriously horrible thing to do when lying in the middle of nowhere.

"You were right Michael." Max said. "She's definitely back to normal."

"I told you I know her more than you can imagine." The DarkStryker replied smugly.

When understanding of what had just happened hit her, she very nearly blew them to smithereens.

_Very, very, nearly._

"Yes." Zed said to someone on the phone as he walked down the hall from the room Allison was resting in. "I'll have my secretary set up an appointment for… Tuesday?"

He turned into his study to grab a pen and a notepad. "Okay then, Tuesday, twelve forty-five at King's Court. Got it. Thank you."

After making sure the line was dead, he collapsed onto the Cashmere centre rug he'd bought a week ago. 'Damn it.' He thought tiredly as he speed-dialed Ellianne's number. 'Being me is bloody hard.'

"Dr Parkington?" came the groggy voice.

"Ellianne, I'm sorry to disturb you at such a late time but I just spoke to the CEO of Golden Age Technologies and we agreed to have a meeting next week at the King's Court by twelve forty-five."

"Okay sir." She replied. "Excuse me sir?"

"Yes?"

"You didn't tell me the when the meeting is to hold."

'She noticed.' Zed thought proudly as he supplied the necessary bit of information.

"Okay. Tuesday, twelve forty-five, King's Court, meeting with CEO Golden Age Tech. Anything else sir?"

"Nothing for now. Thanks Ellie. Have a good night."

With that done, he was about to sleep off when a certain, almost forgotten detail jumped into his mind and he immediately pushed his tired body off the rug. He had a guest to check on.

On getting to his destination, he saw a stunning sight.

Paul stood by the bounty huntress's bed, staring intently at her sleeping face as he ran a hand through her hair.

"She's beautiful isn't she?" Zed asked from the doorway.

Instantly, Paul snatched his hand back like he had been caught playing with an Emperor's signet. "Sorry sir. I'll be on my way."

His employer just smiled. 'He may be the one of the most highly sought after bodyguards on the planet but damn, around girls, Paul Bridgeford has the maturity of a twelve year old experiencing puberty for the first time.'

"Relax. There is nothing wrong in admitting that she is beautiful." Zed said to the slightly pale man.

'And she truly is beautiful.' Zed thought as he walked to the bedside. 'Auburn hair framing a pretty heart-shaped face, cute nose, cupid's bow lips. And that's not even going to that body. Maybe if I didn't have Allison I'd dream of her.'


End file.
